SENSORIZED ROLLER FOR PACKAGING MACHINES
Tetrapak
The control requirements of packaging machines and the need to obtain operating and monitoring data are becoming increasingly pressing. There is no shortage of sensors, but they are often located outside the process.
In the case of packaging machines – this principle also applies to other types of machinery with rollers, such as those for extrusion – the goal is to measure critical parameters directly within the process, as the material flows over the rollers of the production machine.
The presence of fast-moving rotating parts and the variety of parameters to be measured make it a challenge in itself to collect data that relate directly to the state of the material being processed.
Loson’s accumulated experience in the development of sensorized skins for the Cobot, together with expertise in electronics and electrical conductivity and composite materials, has been synthesized in the construction of a capacitive roller, built as a multilayer of composite material interspersed with electrical circuits that serve different purposes.
By exploiting electrical properties, from a simple mechanical element, the slip roller becomes a sophisticated sensor that can measure and send a great deal of information about the state of the material, such as pressure exerted by the rollers, tension, and temperature.
It also increases the inherent safety of the machine: the roller can detect excessive proximity of operators or deviations in operating parameters, sending appropriate alerts to the control system.
