The innovative thickness measuring system of Hammer-IMS is exactly what Orfit Industries in Antwerp, Belgium, required for its high-temperature thermoplastic extrusion line, according to a recent press release.
Orfit Industries
Orfit chooses non-nuclear Hammer-IMS thickness measurement system
Medical specialists worldwide use Orfit’s thermoplastic sheets for orthotic and prosthetic purposes. Orfit Plant Manager Bram Moons-Baitel said: “The non-nuclear M-Ray technology of Hammer-IMS perfectly deals with any sheet colour, transparency level or thickness value, unlike the laser-based solution used previously. The inline multi-sensor system scans across the entire sheet width for maximum coverage of the thermoplastic material, which is still around 100°C or more. It is important to robustly measure directly on the hot, freshly extruded material without touching it. Hammer-IMS enables Orfit to respond and adjust the process much faster.”
The thermoplastic extrusion process is very sensitive, and changing environmental conditions influence the thickness of the extruded sheets. Previously, Orfit tried a fixed laser-based measuring system, but the use of the laser sensor faced problems when measuring certain material colours and transparency levels.
Furthermore, the sensor was unable to adequately withstand the heat in the early extrusion process stages. Orfit was committed to extensive manual thickness measurements to keep the extruded material variants within specifications.
The use of the M-Ray-based measuring system is advantageous in every aspect, according to Moons-Baitel, who added: “the Hammer-IMS solution is the only system available that is contactless, heat-resistant and non-radioactive, and able to measure transparent material.”
Although Orfit already operated non-radioactive measurements, the M-Ray technology is transforming other plastics, fabrics and non-wovens industries, which are currently standardised on nuclear or radioactive measurements.
