PROCESS MONITORING

TOOLS FOR
PROCESS DIAGNOSTICS

Trust is good, control is better.

Take advantage of our comprehensive process monitoring solutions to quickly respond to the ongoing production process - either automatically or manually. Make use of our process diagnostics products, developed on the basis of our many years of know-how. This allows you to evaluate your processes, increase your efficiency, minimize waste and thus reduce your production costs.


Our strong product portfolio includes:

  • Process monitoring tools for the laser process
  • Process monitoring tools for the thermal spray process
  • Cross-application process monitoring

Get an overview.

PROCESS MONITORING TOOLS
FOR THE LASER PROCESS

LPosC

Laser Positioning Control

This system is designed for automatic position control and regulation of the laser cladding process.

 

The recorded images not only show the ongoing cladding process, but also the position of the laser on the workpiece.

 

If the laser process is to be brought right up to the edge of a component, but this edge must not be "over-welded", the edge of the component must be detected. Using the camera in combination with the LPowC program, the position of the edge is measured and evaluated in reference to the position of the laser. This data is fed to the superordinate control unit (PLC), which in turn uses it to suitably control the movement of the axes involved.

LPowC

Laser Power Control

Automatic control of the laser power including emergency shut-off function.

 

The laser power is adjusted to the process so that the melt pool is optimized regarding the specified parameters. If the melt pool shows signs of insufficient laser power, it is increased accordingly and vice versa. The assessment of the melt pool is based on the optical alignment (contrast alignment within the defined measuring field) with criteria defined in the software.

 

Essentially consisting of:

  • Smart camera for GTV laser optics
  • Interface, cable set
  • Software package
PowdFlC

Powder Flow Control

This system detects deviations of the powder flow in the individual powder injectors during the ongoing process and in the immediate area of the melt pool.

 

For this purpose, the powder particles below the nozzle are illuminated and recorded by the camera. An image of the powder injection is displayed on the system control panel.

The evaluation of the powder flow is based on the optical adjustment (contrast adjustment within the defined measuring field) using a previously optimized comparison process.

 

If there is a change in the powder flow of one or more of the 6 injectors, a warning information is displayed on the equipment control panel. The display can be optionally integrated on a monitor as a large screen or split screen.

PowdProC

Powder Profile Control

In addition to a uniform powder flow, the shape and position of the powder jet exiting the nozzle is essential for a high quality coating.

 

For this purpose, the Powder Profile Control System measures the powder jet in 3 dimensions.

 

The powder jet is fed vertically through an exposure laser and evaluated by the PowdProC algorithm. This results in a spatial representation, which can be used to derive the focus position and individual distribution of the powder jet. Based on this data, a measurement protocol can be created and stored.

PROCESS MONITORING TOOLS
FOR THE THERMAL SPRAY PROCESS

NIR-Sensor

Near Infra Red

The GTV NIR (Near Infra Red) sensor is currently the most precise online particle diagnostic system that can be universally used for all thermal spray processes.

The GTV NIR sensor can be used to measure the actual velocities of the individual particles as well as their surface temperatures, provided these are in the infrared range. The smallest measurable surface temperatures of the spray particles are significantly below the measuring range of other systems available on the market.

 

The particle jet is illuminated in a defined measuring spot by a pulsed NIR laser diode (10 MHz). The laser light reflected by the passing particles and their thermal emission are split into two spectral ranges in a beamsplitter and directed to two different detectors for analysis.

CROSS-APPLICATION
PROCESS MONITORING TOOLS

MES system

Manufacturing Execution System

MES systems enable fully automated production process control as well as complete process data acquisition and archiving. The data selection and development of suitable acquisition patterns is implemented individually in each project according to customer specifications.

Process data recording

using archive programs

The GTV process data acquisition can be considered as an "entry-level variant" of the MES system and is directly integrated into the GTV user interface. It operates in the background of the ongoing process. The GTV process data acquisition offers the following advantages:

  • Second-by-second recording of actual process values in Excel format
  • Process restart results in new file entries, each of which is time-stamped
  • The header is created and visualized customer-specific (within a limited scope)
  • The possible data volume is limited only by Excel and the hard disk space installed in the operator panel
  • To view and edit the values, the data must be exported / copied to an Excel program on an external computer or, if an Excel license is purchased (not included in the scope of supply), the data can be edited on the control panel
Camera systems

for cabin monitoring

A variety of different camera systems can be integrated into your coating system for process and component monitoring. This allows you to quickly react to deviations and increase productivity.