Infrared camera for Kunststoff-Zentrum

In cooperation with Kunststoff-Zentrum SKZ KTT GmbH, Micro-Epsilon has devised a thermography solution for inline quality control of injection-moulding machines.

A thermoIMAGER TIM thermal imaging camera is installed in the machine to detect defective parts. The camera uses the thermal radiation from the workpiece to detect not only visual faults, but also hidden defects within the material itself. In addition to Micro-Epsilon’s operating software, SKZ also developed control software designed specifically for plastics processing, which visualizes the workpiece and compares this to an infrared reference image. SKZ has integrated the thermal camera into the injection-moulding machine to enable users to control and automatically remove any defective parts. The system also ensures rapid, secure machine changeovers, as any newly produced parts are evaluated immediately after changing the mould tools. This continuous quality control is particularly useful to automotive suppliers, where the value of injection-moulded parts increases by several hundred per cent as the parts are processed.