Extrusion International 4-2024

34 Extrusion International 4/2024 or are complicated and time-con- suming with regard to the measur- ing process. The Warp Portable is mainly used for starting up the blowmoldingma- chine, taking measurements along the line from the bottom to the top of parts and the part circumference and performing hot-off-the-line checks, as well as comprehensive thickness evaluations in the lab. Application: Drum Drums aremanufactured in awide range of sizes and for a multitude of applications. Chemical resistance, dimensional accuracy and mechani - cal properties, such as stacking pres- sure resistance and bursting pres - sure, are important characteristics for drums. For economic reasons, all these properties should be reliably achieved with minimum material input. Simple kinematics can obtain information about the wall thick- ness along the height and circum - ference of the drum. In addition to wall thickness infor- mation, distance data also is record - ed to evaluate the shape. In the case shown here of a 220-li- ter drum, an unintentionally high wall thickness, especially at the drum edges, was identified. With the use of radar technology, defined toler- ances could be continuously moni - tored and the percentage of plastic that is put into the drum could be reduced. If the wall thickness mea- sured in the middle of the drum is sufficient for the application, more than 10 percent of material could be saved by optimizing. Consider- ing that the edge and L-Ring require a higher amount of plastic, a lower reduction of up to 5 percent in the center of the product is realistic. One of the most critical parts when producing an L-Ring drum is the L-Ring itself. Doing continuous wall thickness scans below the L- Ring area in a 360-degree-circum- ference, an observed stable process and sufficient material thickness can signify that the quality of the L- Ring is as expected. Because of tem- perature independence, other qual - ity tools that are doing a partial wall thickness control along the circum- ference (e.g. PWDS ® at 0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees and 280 degrees) can be adjusted in iterative steps without waiting for the parts being measured to cool. Spot checks via manual radar measurements provide data to ad - just machine settings directly after startup. Application: Hydrogen Pressure Vessel Particularly for mobile applica - tions such as vehicles or mobile stor - age modules, Type IV composite pressure vessels are up to 70 percent lighter than steel fuel tank cylinders. The liner plays a central role here: It forms the actual pressure vessel, provides a hydrogen permeation barrier and is responsible for the tightness of the container, which provides up to 700 bar of operating pressure. The liner is subject to the strictest quality requirements and ensures the safety, efficiency and durability of the vessel. Radar tech- nology ensures the liner quality. In the cylindrical area, wall thickness, diameter and eccentricity can be determined; in the dome area, the contour, wall thickness and devia- tions from the target geometry can be determined. Case Study: Robotics as Kinematic Element Robotics can be used as a han - dling tool for radar measurement technology. Lab testing with a col- laborative robot (cobot) measur- ing parts of a hydrogen pressure liner illustrate the suitability when it comes to required accuracy. In measuring the blow molded lin- er of a particular pressure vessel, the positioning of the robot when focus- MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY