Inspection and sorting of plastic pellets – detecting contamination
Sikora, West Building, Level 2 Booth W5589 Expo Hall
Sikora, a manufacturer of measuring, control and sorting technologies, will be exhibiting its wide range of technology for quality control and cost optimisation in hose, pipe and tube extrusion and material production and processing at NPE 2024.
Purity Scanner Advanced: Modular system for flexible optical online inspection and sorting of plastic pellets
Sikora exhibits the Purity Scanner Advanced that is used for inspection and sorting of plastic pellets. Even the smallest, critical contamination is claimed to be reliably detected and sorted out by the system. Thanks to the modular concept, different camera types can be used depending on the inspected material. In addition to optical 2 µm high-resolution cameras, which detect black specks and discolourations, an X-ray camera can be installed to detect metallic contamination down to 50 µm in the pellet. Common systems on the market have a maximum of two optical cameras. However, these quickly reach their limits due to relatively low coverage as soon as the contamination are outside the cameras’ field of view. The Purity Scanner Advanced automatically sorts out detected contamination via a blow-out unit. For optimising the by-catch, Sikora has developed a “hybrid blow-out” feature. The customer defines in advance which contaminants in the material are uncritical and select a smaller blow-out unit for these, so that their by-catch is reduced. Both reliable detection and hybrid blow-out ensure high material quality. At the same time, production processes are optimised, and the reduced by-catch contributes to cost-efficient and sustainable production.
Purity Concept V: Reproducible optical laboratory testing of pellets, flakes and plates
In the area of plastics, visitors can bring small quantities of opaque and amorphous pellets, flakes or plates to be inspected and analysed for impurities with the inspection and analysis system Purity Concept V during the exhibition. The system is suitable for reproducible laboratory applications and detects black and coloured contaminants from a size of 50 µm as well as discolourations. The analysis takes less than a minute, including test certificate and HSV colour chart of the detected colour deviations. The system thus contributes to increased product and quality reliability.
Launch of new products
At NPE 2024, Sikora will present new measuring devices that have been designed to redefine the segment of measuring technology for hose and tube extrusion lines.
Centerwave 6000: Measurement of tubes and pipes at a push of a button
For measuring tubes and pipes with a diameter from 32 mm to 1,600 mm, Sikora will showcase the Centerwave 6000. All models of the Centerwave 6000 device series are characterised by their innovative measuring principle based on millimeter wave technology. Operation is intuitive at the push of a button, says Sikora. Once activated, the operator immediately receives continuous and precise measured values – without presetting the product parameters, without the influence of a coupling medium (water) and without any calibration. Right after the first vacuum tank, the system provides all product dimensions. A continuously rotating transceiver measures the diameter and wall thickness in 360 degrees across the entire product circumference. The extensive and precise measuring data enables fast centering of the extrusion tools respectively an automatic control to the minimum wall thickness for optimum material usage and overall sustainability as well as cost saving.
X-Ray 6000 Pro: Material saving
With the X-Ray 6000 Pro, Sikora presents a system based on X-ray technology that continuously provides measuring data on wall thickness, eccentricity and inner and outer diameter of hoses and tubes in extrusion lines. These are clearly displayed on the monitor of the Ecocontrol 6000 processor system. The X-Ray 6000 Pro can be used either after the extruder, between two vacuum tanks/cooling sections, or at the end of the line for cold measurement. From the first day of commissioning, the system enables the wall thickness to be reduced to the smallest permissible value. This is claimed to result in material and cost savings for the user.
