Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing September/October Issue - 21

INDUSTRIAL FINISHING: TESTING EQUIPMENT
Testing Automation Options
Integrating thickness testing in-line with production can improve
consistency for high volume or high value products
A
s more manufacturers move towards Industry 4.0,
machinery, processes and technology are all shifting
to automated platforms, using intricate and custom
control systems. Machines are communicating with
each other, some are even learning on the fly with AI, and more
and more of this data and information is being automatically
fed back into enterprise resource planning (ERP) and material
requirements planning (MRP) systems. This level of connectivity
is proof that the Internet of Things (IoT) is finally becoming a
reality.
The next step in full integration is looking at the automation
of testing equipment. Many testing equipment product lines
already have data transfer capabilities, whether it be via USB,
RFID or Bluetooth technology, but what about integrating testing
and sampling solutions in-line with the production process?
Fischer Technology offers a wide range of testing lines from
handheld gauges to fully integrated solutions and has moved into
automated solutions for its thickness and composition testing
systems.
" We've had people ask about automating testing processes.
Our equipment is very sensitive to any kind of vibrations,
which does make automating a little more difficult. But there
are metrology-oriented testing and sampling processes that
we have automated, " says Jim Bogert, manager of automated
metrology for manufacturers, Fischer Technology. " People talk
about quality control. We're not doing the control, but we do feed
information back to that control and that is where we fit in an
automation scenario. "
Fischer's electromagnetic measurement technology and XRF
devices are designed to fit in a variety of production environments
using different interface options.
The electromagnetic product line measures film or coating
thicknesses non-destructively using the magnetic induction
method. It needs a magnetizable base material, such as steel or
iron, and the coating must be non-magnetic. This process is
suitable for measuring galvanic coatings such as zinc and chrome,
as well as paints and plastics, according to Bogert.
" An area that we've had success with the magnetic induction
is for conductivity and measuring heat treated materials, " says
Bogert. " Heat treating conductivity is big for the automotive
industry that wants to ensure that a material, such as a car
bumper, has been treated properly. Our products also measure
the thickness of an anodized coating as well. There are a lot of
applications this product can fit into. "
The XRF devices are Fischer's x-ray fluorescent product
These offer non-destructive,
line.
contact-free
coating
thickness measurement and material analysis. It comes with
the Fischer WinFTM software, which is designed to facilitate
the measurement process, including controlling the x-ray,
enabling traceability of measurements, generating personalized
measurement reports and interfacing with internal networks.
Of course, investing in automated testing all depends on the
volume and the cost of material and parts being produced. If it's
fasteners or bolts that require an anti-corrosion coating and the
coating isn't correct, then the cost of scrapping that part isn't that
great.
September/October 2022
21
Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing September/October Issue

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