Product height control station
Our client is a manufacturer of high-end slabs and paving stones combining upmarket materials with innovative technology.
In keeping with its continuous improvement process for product quality, it commissioned TCM - THOMAS CONSTRUCTIONS MECANIQUES to design a continuous control station for the height and flatness of slabs coming out of the forming press, equipped with monitoring software and digital reporting capability via an online data processing and analysis platform.
Composed of a set of laser sensors and a data acquisition controller, the station uses laser scanning to continuously measure and record the height of products leaving the forming press and throughout production.
The workstation is fully mobile and can be moved from one production site to another.
Data is processed locally in real time on a remote laptop computer. The data processing software, developed specifically for this use, can determine the slab configuration, their height and degree of flatness.
The control results are sent to an online platform in real time. There, they are reprocessed and can be accessed via a mobile app, using either a smartphone, tablet or laptop.
Results are shown in real time in the form of diagrams, statistical monitoring reports and quality indicators that are easy to read and interpret. If product quality tolerances are exceeded, an alert is sent to the user on the device of their choice. The user can therefore intervene in the manufacturing process remotely and, if necessary, put it on hold.
Other indicators, such as productivity, scrap rate, production order number, mould number and many more, can also be accessed in real time via the online platform.
The control station and the monitoring system are designed to be sufficiently scalable and flexible to incorporate other production control and monitoring features at a later date.
By installing this equipment, our client has fully embraced the technology associated with the 4.0 factory which has opened up new opportunities to become more competitive through quality and productivity.
In late 2019, a wide range of design, development and manufacturing work was carried out by TCM - THOMAS CONSTRUCTIONS MECANIQUES - see the following articles for more information :