Extrusion 7-2016

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For more than 30 years Kündig Control Systems
(KCS) has offered offline film thickness
measurement systems for quality assurance of
plastic films. During that time these systems
have been supplied to many laboratories and
production facilities around the world.
GaugeCloud and Internet-of-Gauges
GaugeCloud is a KCS designed Internet based system that
streamlines all service activity occurring over the lifetime with
each gauge. Since January 2016 KCS has been uploading ma-
nuals, drawings and many other relevant details for each new
KCS gauge to the new GaugeCloud. KCS is also in the process
of uploading thousands of documents for existing products.
Upon customer request or invitation KCS is granting free of
charge GaugeCloud access to support documentation and
tools for their respective gauges. With GaugeCloud access cus-
tomers will be able to see the specific documentation for their
gauge by simply entering the gauge serial number. Specific de-
tails available include a complete list of possible spare parts, up-
grade possibilities, and tools for remote support (including a
chat tool) from a KCS technician. To improve the troubleshoot-
ing process, GaugeCloud provides KCS a group view of custo-
mer chat sessions ensuring the best technical experience is
brought to bear for the problem at hand. These are just a few
features and many new ones will be added on quarterly basis.
Internet-of-Gauges: Inspired by the Internet-of-Things (IoT),
KCS is building the infrastructure for a worldwide Internet-of-
Gauges (IoG). Beginning Spring 2017, KCS will introduce the
IoG, allowing customers to connect their KCS gauges to the In-
ternet. Those customers will use GaugeCloud as a portal to
“Preemptive Maintenance”, “Alerting”, “Parameter Monitor-
ing” and many other services designed to enhance reliability
and maintain measurement accuracy.
Filmtest 3G
KCS maintains that the practice of doing offline film thick-
ness measurements still has a prominent place in quality ef-
forts even with the wide spread use of high quality online thick-
ness devices. With extensive experience in offline gauging, this
point could not be clearer as shown with these examples where
the offline gauge “saved the day”:
• A density value of just one layer had been set incorrectly in
the gravimetric dosing system and the average film thickness
did not comply with the requirement.
• Thin spots in the film were detected by the offline gauge
which was missed by the online gauge. This was because even
though an oscillating blown film gauging system sends 360
averaged thickness values, one per degree, there are inherently
areas of film that are missed by the online gauge.
• A thickness profile in transverse direction (TD) can never be
better than the variation in machine direction (MD). Yet online
gauges are designed to operate predominately in the transverse
direction method of measurement. Only a few online gauges
can even do a MD measurement. Therefore there are quality is-
sues where having only an online gauge is not enough. Just
imagine how long it would take, using a hand micrometer, to
measure and report an entire profile from a 10 meter (~33 foot)
long sample and then generate the appropriate reports.
At the K 2016 many offline film thickness gauging system will
be on display. The Filmtest 3G from KCS has these important
advantages:
• Each film strip is measured over its total length. Multiple film
strips can be virtually joined to show the full TD profile.
• Sample feeding into the Filmtest 3G is greatly enhanced
with the new Electronic Stability Program (ESP). This new feed-
ing system ensures automatically aligned sample feeding with-
out any operator assistance for a majority of film samples. The
ESP uses an intelligent combination of multiple stepper motors
and edge detection sensors to grip and guide the film sample
through the measurement process.
• The FilmTest 3G uniquely handles automatic calibration of
the thickness profile by using sample length, width and weight.
Calibration accuracy using this method is much more accurate
than just making one mechanical measurement as is common
on competing systems.
• Operators of Filmtest 3G will find the product intuitive to ope-
rate with latest design techniques in both form and function.
62 Measurement Technology Extrusion 7/2016
HCH. KUNDIG & CIE AG
Joweid Zentrum 11, P.O.Box 526, CH-8630 Rueti ZH, Switzerland
Hall 10, Booth C81