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PROTON’s InteliSENS Sensor Produces Significant Results Across a Wide Range of Web Applications

PROTON’s InteliSENS Sensor Produces Significant Results Across a Wide Range of Web Applications

PROTON Products, the global leader for non-contact laser Doppler speed and length measurement, sets new standards for accurate, reliable speed and length measurement. This innovative approach to non-contact speed and length measurement delivers greater productivity, higher quality and reduced scrap for production lines and downstream conversion processes.

PROTON’s intelligent laser Doppler non-contact speed and length sensor replaces contacting encoders that encounter slippage, wear and marking. This new intelligent measurement provides accurate, repeatable, reliable measurement performance. It opens more web application possibilities, contributing to production and quality improvements, resulting in a significant return on investment (ROI).

For example, with nonwoven and extensible products, machine draws can be standardized to produce uniform basis weight and thickness properties. For tissue manufacture, the crepe ratio can now be accurately measured between the Yankee dryer and the reel to control and optimize the bulk and hand-feel properties. Also with orientated film and sheet polymer products, the actual MDO stretch can be measured on-line to help achieve the correct thickness, quality and performance properties. Paper and board grades also benefit from accurate draw measurements as by setting sectional draw targets from the forming area through to the reel to avoid breaks, improve drying and reduce cross direction shrinkage,

The benefits of accurate length measurement are obvious. By eliminating slippage or errors with contacting encoders, this reduces product give-away and/or short length delivery claims. But there are other benefits. By matching rolls of equivalent length for multi-ply winding operations such as tissue and laminating lines, core waste losses can be reduced or eliminated. Accurate length delivery can also be beneficial for converting processes to reduce scrap for point of sale packaged products.

Often, contacting encoder length measurement signals are used to trigger downstream cutters. Typical applications include on-machine sheeters, cut-to-length rolls, panel boards and corrugated board following the double facer. These applications often encounter either poor reliability or inaccuracy when using contacting encoders. This is avoided with PROTON’s InteliSENS non-contact sensor. Here the InteliSENS intelligent sensor provides a contact output to the cutter based on a length target download from either the customers PLC or DCS automation platform. This ensures exact cut-to-length product size thus reducing conversion scrap and customer returns.

Flying splices are commonplace for off-machine coaters (OMC), corrugators (single and double facers) and laminators, with each requiring an exact speed match between the new roll and the expiring one. Flying splices offer the ability for continuous production without shutting the process to feed up a new reel. Getting this right

avoids breaks with expensive downtime that can take up to one hour before resuming full production. InteliSENS’s highly accurate speed measurement of better than ± 0.05% helps ensure that flying splice failures are a thing of the past.

There are still many operations that use contacting encoders that need a simple method to routinely check their absolute accuracy. Here a portable InteliSENS with Bluetooth communications to a PC can be used to quickly check these encoders and adjust their calibration if necessary.

PROTON’s InteliSens SL/SLR non-contact intelligent laser Doppler sensors represent the web industry’s first choice for accurate, reliable, affordable speed and length measurement. The SL mini-series of non-contact speed and length gauges is feature-rich with a compact form factor that is competitively priced; challenging the need for high-maintenance conventional measurements.

For more information about PROTON Products visit:
http://www.protonproducts.com/products/sl-series/sl-mini-series/