Sikora Showcases Tubing Inspection Technology at Fakuma

A system based on millimeter wave technology inspects all dimensions of extruded tubing in real time during the production process. Sikora will demo the Centerwave 6000/250 for tubing in diameters ranging from 32 to 250 mm, along with several other pieces of equipment, at booth 6110 in hall A6 at Fakuma. The international plastics processing trade show returns to Friedrichshafen, Germany, on Oct. 17 to 21.

All aspects of the tubing, including diameter and wall thickness, are inspected and visualized in real time over the product's entire circumference. The measurement data obtained enables automatic control of the minimum wall thickness, taking into account standard deviation of the extrusion line.

The Centerwave 6000/250 enables inline gapless, reliable quality control. At the push of a button, the operator immediately receives continuous precise measured values without having to preset product parameters and without the influence of a coupling medium or calibration. The system on display at Fakuma is part of a portfolio of inspection equipment processing product diameters from 32 to 3,200 mm.

Free inspection of pellets and flakes

Visitors to the Sikora booth will be able to automatically inspect and analyze small quantities of crystalline and amorphous pellets, flakes, or test plates for contamination using the Purity Concept V inspection and analysis system. The device is suitable for reproducible laboratory applications and detects black and colored contamination as small as 50 µm, as well as discoloration. Analysis takes less than a minute, including production of test certificates and HSV color charts of detected color deviations. Attendees are invited to bring samples to the Sikora stand for testing free of charge.

X-ray based inspection of extruded products

Sikora will also be running the X-Ray 6000 Pro in combination with the EcoControl 6000 processor, which uses X-ray technology to examine different layers of tubes and hoses during the extrusion process. Measurement values are displayed on the monitor numerically as well as graphically in the form of trend and statistical data. By default, wall thickness is displayed at eight measurement points.

In addition, a “smart” physical evaluation model determines the minimum wall thickness, which supports user control of the process. The physical model also allows the wall thickness to be visualized over the entire circumference of the tube or hose at any point. The user selects how many points and at which position the values are to be displayed. The system is also used for automatic control of the line speed and extruder rpm, ensuring compliance with given specifications and enabling process optimization and productivity. The X-Ray 6000 Pro can be used for product diameters from 0.65 to 270 mm.