IOTECH says steel manufacturers should use vibration measurement and analysis to solve problems common in sheet metal production.
The company says problems are most frequent when metal slabs are transformed into sheets. The slab is heated to a uniform temperature and then run through a processing line of several rolling stands.
Through this process the metal transforms the slab into a bar initially and finally into a sheet with the thickness specified by the client.
The developer claims vibrations can affect the rollers and therefore can compromise the thickness accuracy. They can be caused by worn rollers and faulty bearings. Excessive vibrations can result in sheets with different thicknesses at different sections.
Some facilities now use a variety of permanent, distributed data acquisition systems that monitor temperature, vibration, force, displacement and speed. Accelerometers and tachometers fitted to the rolling stands also gather data.
The company is distributing the portable ZonicBook technology designed to detect vibration and speed. The unit has sensors which can be fitted internally or attached to the equipment during testing. It uses an algorithm to collect vibration and tachometer data and presents them in several formats.
According to the designer, a skilled analyst can use the device to identify and isolate specific damaged parts so they can be repaired or replaced.
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