QUELLTECH GMBH - Precision is our Mission

Particular Challenges of the Application: By tactile equipment, determination of the deepest point on a rough metal surface is neither simple or precise. As a consequence, often either too much material is removed, or the surface is still covered with defects which have to be eliminated by a following milling cycle. The equipment is arranged in parallel, so that the complete width of the slabs is covered. The sensors are calibrated to a common coordinate system and mounted on a movable gantry. Before measurement, the slabs are fixed in place. The scanners mounted on the gantry are guided over the measuring object, driven by an electric motor. The point cloud recorded by the four scanners is consolidated in a PC by means of the QuellTech image processing software which calculates the difference between highest and lowest point of the corresponding surface and compensates for possible inclination of the slab (detrending).

Defects to be examined in this application are very small, their size is often lower than 0.5 mm – hard to discover by human eye. Rework in the course of the production of the final product however, proves to be complicated and expensive. Large rolls with a diameter of 2 m and a length of 10 m are very difficult to remove and to reinstall. In order to avoid corresponding inconveniencies, it is essential to support the manufacturing process of the rolls themselves by a reliable quality control in the form of an automated final inspection.As the Quelltech Q6 laser scanner features an extremely precise resolution of 4096 Pixels/Profile at a high scan rate, this model proved to be able to meet the requirements and was mounted onto the positioning stage of the grinding machine. Furthermore, an industrial measurement computer was added, used for the analysis software of the point cloud. On the basis of this configuration, the entire roll surface could be recorded on a helical path.

Many materials cannot be measured tactilely, therefore non-contact thickness measurements become necessary. Especially e.g. with glowing materials, or wet processes, a continuous tactile measurement is nearly impossible. Furthermore, web speeds in plant engineering and production have increased, requiring a corresponding fast sampling rate of the measuring systems. In addition, high measuring widths are often required. Why is contact free measurement technology so perfect for this application? Can be used in any web width, Scalable measurement thicknesses from a few millimetres to several meters, Thickness and coating thickness can be measured for different materials, Vibrations of the web materials, can be compensated, Turnkey solution for mechanical engineering, Non-contact and non-destructive measurement method, Large distances to the measured object are possible, Measurement of free forms,

Particular Challenge: For the assessment of rotating parts, numerous parameters have to be taken into consideration: Concentricity, radial run-out and axial run-out (i.e. wobble); furthermore thickness, diameter, planarity and the absence of surface defects had to be examined. The solution developed by QuellTech consists in a configuration of three Q6 Laser Laser Scanners.Each of the lateral surfaces is assigned to its own scanner. In order to enable the thickness precisely to be determined, both laser lines are mutually oriented in opposite direction. The third scanner inspects the outer circumference of the wheel, this way measuring diameter and radial run-out. All of these scanners are subject to encoder signals supplied by the rotary axis and synchronously triggered, so possible defects on the wheel can precisely be localized. The measurement takes place at a resolution of ca. 30 µm, and a cloud comprising several millions of points are obtained.

Particular Challenges: The seal surfaces in this case are made of very glossy metal, with the drawback of emitted reflections. This effect during an optical measurement must be eliminated. Furthermore, it is absolutely necessary to guide the laser scanner on a linear path over the surface, since fluctuations of distance may falsify the measurement result. QuellTech Solution: The Quelltech model Q5 disposes of an adequate resolution in X and Z direction and proves to be able to verify the planarity tolerances and to measure the size of defects. Meanwhile a precise rotary axle, used as guiding element, moves the scanner over the surface to be evaluated. Interfering artefacts caused by the glossy finish are suppressed by particular algorithms integrated within the software. As an encoder value is permanently supplied by the rotary axle, the position of each scanner profile within the point cloud can accurately be determined.

The QS View software package is intended for dimensional control in 2D or 3D QS-View 2D / 3D software for all measuring tasks 3D representation of an irregular body for determination of volume and weight. With the 2D / 3D software a wide variety of parameters can be processed and displayed, e.g. length, width, angle height, gap, presence, volume (resp. weight), seam geometry (height, width), gap dimensions. Due to the modular structure of the software, customized specialties can be added any time. Each module delivers the results to an individual output module. The universal SPC interface allows simple connection to S7 controllers via Ethernet. 2D / 3D software developer kits are available for integrators with corresponding knowhow.

QuellTech Solution: The performance of a manual inspection cannot be compared with the speed and the repeatability of a contactless QuellTech Q4-1000 laser scanner. It is even possible to install several instruments in parallel to cover the whole width of the ingot with one single scan. These instruments are mounted on an existing portal and correctly synchronized, so that interaction of the laser light originating from the other scanners is excluded. The QuellTech laser line scanners produce 3D point cloud of the raw ingot surface, and the software calculates the coordinates of the highest and deepest levels of this surface. After scalping the flat surface can be scanned again for any defects. Benefits for the Client: Thanks to QuellTech’s wide area laser line scanners, the cycle times for ingot scalping could considerably be reduced, and excessive material scrap due to a too low scalping level is prevented.

QuellTech Solution For this purpose, QuellTech offers a perfectly tailored seam tracking solution, which is based on a QuellTech 2D-Laserline Sensor of the Q4 family. The method consists in measurement of the real position and width immediately ahead of the welding process. The laser sensor captures the real dimension of the weld bead, and the software used for this process simultaneously sends the nominal position to the robot. The robot performs a correction movement in X or Z position according to this measurement. This way not only the deviation caused by tolerances, but also the warping effect can be compensated – and the weldment takes place exactly at the required position. The QuellTech 2D-Laserline Sensor is specially prepared to the highly disturbing ambient light from the weld process. It can be cooled and protected from weld spatter, so this model proves to be particularly adequate for operation in the harsh environment of the welding process.

Q6-Lasor sensor – High Speed, High Resolution – Q6 Sets New Standards for 2D / 3D Measurement: Resolution of up to 0.6 µm Profile speed of up to 25.000 profiles/s Measuring ranges between 2 mm and up to 370 mm available Laser wave lengths starting from UV via blue, red and green through to IR The Q6 laser sensor series has already proven its ability in numerous industrial applications demanding a high degree of precision and process stability at increased travel speed. For common environments, connection is established via GIGE interface and GeniCam. Integration with linear axes and robots is possible by means of encoder inputs and trigger option.

Laser sensor Q4 – with a small form factor – Q4 for standard 2D / 3D measuring applications: Low sensitivity against influences of secondary light Measuring ranges from 5 mm to 1000 mm Laser wave lengths starting from UV via blue, red and green through to IR Average measuring speed up to 350 Hz frame The Q4 laser sensor has been designed to meet the requirements of standard measuring applications. Thanks to its increased flexibility, it can be used for several tasks also in complex projects. The dimensions of the ultra-compact version amount to only 86x40x25, at a weight of 140 g. Protective panes and cooling modules are available as an option. The Q4 laser sensor model enables users to obtain stable measuring results also on difficult surfaces, whether mirroring or transparent. The QS-View Standard Software comprises a comprehensive selection of application modules, to be invoked at once without previous programming steps. Customized adaptations are possible any time.