PREFORM PRODUCTION PETplanet Insider Vol. 26 No. 06/25 www.petpla.net 30 Latest generation preform monitoring When IMD initially launched inline preform monitoring and IMDvista PECO LUX ten years ago, it brought something completely new to the market. Martin Gerber (CSO) proudly explains that preform monitoring has since become well established in the industry and is now the most widely used solution for inline inspection of preforms. As of today, IMD has successfully installed hundreds of PECO LUX systems on the market. Furthermore, market demand remains very strong. This success story has motivated IMD to invest heavily in a new design and enhanced functionality. Full integrated solution in Netstal’s new PET-Line Netstal is the first injection moulding machine manufacturer, who fully integrates the PECO LUX system directly onto the outlet conveyor located within the machine housing. This new system version with Netstal is no longer visible and is seamlessly incorporated into the floor space of the injection moulding machine. New-gen compact stand-alone version As a matter of fact, many injection moulding machine manufacturers have reached out to find a suitable preform monitoring solution for their machine type(s). One of the key requirements is that space is always very limited within the existing machine plus the layout should remain the same. IMD has completely redesigned and optimised its traditional stand-alone solution. Step by step, this new flexible standalone version is now being adapted to various injection moulding machines, allowing both new and existing lines to be equipped moving forward. A design with no moving parts The new-gen IMDvista PECO LUX V3, like its predecessor, features a design with no moving parts. Instead of complex mechanics, it uses a simple yet effective chute with backlighting - making the system both simple and efficient, stated IMD. PECO LUX line efficiency No belts to clean or maintain, no mechanical preform-singulation, and no additional conveying elements are required. When the vision system is deactivated, production continues seamlessly no production interruption nor line stoppage due to jammed conveyor belts. Calibration capability Martin Gerber explains that many customers operate 5, 10, or up to 20 PECO LUX systems across their facilities making calibration and validation an incredible valuable feature in order to guarantee identical production quality. The new-gen PECO LUX V3 is claimed to offer exactly this new capability. Using a specially designed calibration plate, each system can be calibrated and validated with repeatable precision and reproducibility. The fully automated calibration process is claimed to provide operators with an easy and reliable way to set up the system. Therefore, the operator is able to achieve identical product recipes and ensure reproducibility within a fully documented process. This aims to open up a new level of quality control. Producers can now guarantee consistent baseline settings and inspection results across the entire plant or across multiple production sites in Europe or anywhere in the world. This enables a more structured and centralised approach to quality management. It also ensures that inspection reports and quality results are comparable across machines, lines, and locations. Calibration/validation forms one of the most important pillars within IMD’s roadmap. PREFORMS Martin Gerber explains that using a specially designed calibration plate, each PECO LUX system can be calibrated and validated with repeatable precision and reproducibility. The fully integrated PECO LUX system in a Netstal PET-Line will be presented at drinktec on the Netstal booth C6-169. IMD Hall A5 - Booth 130 PECO LUX V3 standalone version which requires no additional floorspace
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