Inspecting the sharpness of band knives

Foam cutting machines must ensure a constant cutting quality, which requires among other things a perfect condition of the cutting blades. Laser profile scanners from Micro-Epsilon are used to test the knife sharpness.

Foam cutting machines use band knives whose cutting blades typically wear out over the course of their use. In order to ensure high efficiency in the cutting process, the knife sharpness test is carried out during operation. A Micro-Epsilon laser profile scanner of the scanCONTROL 2910-10/BL series measures the front side of the knife. The sensor is installed in the cutting machine and directly connected to the control system. During measurement, the sensor detects, among other things, the width of the knife tip. This loses its uniformity in the event of wear, but this is only visible in the micrometer range.

Since the scanCONTROL 2910/BL laser profile scanner has a resolution of up to 7.8 µm, it can detect even the smallest deviations on the knife. The precisely measured change in thickness of the tip allows conclusions to be drawn about the degree of wear of the knife. The thickness values are transmitted directly from the sensor to the plant. In case of increased wear, a grinding device is activated which sharpens the knife during operation.

Only the automated inspection by the Micro-Epsilon laser scanner provides the grinding device with the values for an optimum grinding setting. This optimization increases product quality and reduces wear and material consumption, as the knives are neither over- nor under-ground.

The scanCONTROL 2910-10/BL series impresses with its compact size and low weight. With a laser line of only 10 mm, the scanner detects the smallest structures and details. The high profile resolution in combination with the blue laser line enables maximum precision for a wide range of applications.