3D vision system at JACKON Insulation
- Building & construction
- PLC / PC programming
- Vision and measurement systems
For more than 35 years, JACKON Insulation (part of the BEWI Group) has been a leading company in Europe thanks to its innovative solutions made of extruded polystyrene foam (XPS). Thanks to their thermal insulation properties, the products and systems produced by JACKON Insulation make a significant contribution to sustainable and energy-efficient construction. The headquarters and part of the production are located in Mechau (Germany). There is also a production site in Olen (Belgium). The Olen site is the plant where we carried out this project.
Case
As in most factories, there is a constant need to increase the efficiency of each production line, and it is extremely important to safeguard the quality of the product. All while keeping in mind that waste per line must be kept to a minimum.
With this in mind, JACKON Insulation contacted us to devise a concept for measuring the key characteristics of the XPS insulation panels it produces. Preferably, this had to be done inline, meaning that every panel produced would pass this quality inspection step.
The key characteristics to be checked are:
- Length
- Width
- Dimensions of bevelled edges
- Thickness
- Squareness
In the past, these parameters were measured manually on a sample panel roughly every half hour. This was a time-consuming process, and measurement accuracy depended on the consistency of the manual checks. Because the sample was only measured every half hour, an entire production batch within that time span could end up being rejected. JACKON Insulation recycled these rejected panels to make new panels from them.
Solution
To alert operators faster when a deviation is detected in one of the parameters, we integrated a vision system based on laser triangulation into the production line.
Using sensors, this system scans the entire (moving) panel on the production line. The insulation panel is then reconstructed in 3D by the software, with an accuracy of 0.1 mm. This gives the operator real-time information on the required parameters. A warning system informs the operators in time, after which they can adjust the machine or the milling cutter where necessary.
Our software engineers developed this software specifically for this project. It displays the measured parameters clearly and uses colour coding to show which parameters may be out of specification. The location of the defect is also shown graphically, to keep the operator's response time as short as possible.
Conclusion
Thanks to this integration, the production of rejected insulation panels has fallen considerably. What's more, only XPS panels that meet the specifications 100% are produced, and operators can spend their time more usefully than on manual quality checks!
