The amount of waste produced in industrial manufacturing has increased annually and is the highest in Australia, statistically.
Despite the focus on recycling to create a circular economy, there is still a long way to go due to the large amount of waste we produce. Therefore, optimising the manufacturing process to minimise waste should be the priority.
One of the most significant contributors to manufacturing waste is materials used for processing. This can be grouped into rejected products that do not conform to the manufacturing standards.
For example, roofing tiles that do not fit with each other or an extra layer of thickness of plasterboard. Often, these can be refed to the processing line if manufacturers can detect these deviations during their quality control.
Quality control is essential to manufacturing, ensuring the final products meet the required standards and specifications. In manufacturing construction and building materials, the quality of materials used in buildings is critical as it directly impacts the safety and longevity of the structure.
This mix of materials refers to concrete, bricks, wood, steel, stone, glass, asphalt, and insulation materials. As such, manufacturers must implement rigorous quality control processes to ensure that their products are fit for purpose and meet the expectations of their customers.
The manufacturing process must also be carefully monitored to ensure that the finished products meet the required quality standards.
Manufacturers not only have to implement quality control checks at every stage of the manufacturing process, but they also need to install a monitoring system to ensure that the final products are accurate and consistent with the requirements specified by the customer.
This includes dimensional measurement, testing the products for strength, durability, color and other properties and checking them for defects or irregularities. Products must meet the required quality standards to be accepted and sold to customers.
Dimensional measurement is critical in manufacturing building materials as it helps ensure consistency, compliance, safety, and customer satisfaction.
They must be consistent so that the products can fit together and function as intended. In addition, it is also to comply with industry regulations and minimise the risk of structural failures.
With the rising innovation of advanced measurement technology, engineers now have endless options rather than relying on traditional techniques such as using a digital caliper.
While it is still commonly used in various measurement applications, it is prone to inaccuracy and is limited in keeping up with the production pace. Non-contact sensors may be more suitable for fast-paced manufacturing environments. Examples include:
- Laser profile scanners: Laser scanners can be integrated into the quality monitoring systems at the end of the production line to quantitatively measure the property of materials such as thickness, edge angle, dimensions, gaps, 3D measurement, etc.
- Ultrasonic thickness gauges: Ultrasonic thickness gauges use high-frequency sound waves to measure the thickness of materials such as metal, plastic, or glass. They are commonly used in the automotive and aerospace industries to measure the thickness of components such as engine parts or airplane wings.
- Optical micrometers: Optical micrometers detect the object dimension detecting the interruption of the light path emitted from the transmitter light source to the receiver unit. They are commonly used in manufacturing to measure the dimensions of small components such as gears or bearings.
The laser profile scanner from Micro-Epsilon, scanCONTROL, is amongst the highest-performing profile scanner due to its unparalleled precision and measuring rate.
While the sensor head is equipped with an integrated intelligence controller for various measurement tasks, customers can manually program the sensor for integration into their applications. The scanCONTROL is suitable for integration in the production environment due to its compact design and flexibility to interface with industrial protocols.
Some applications of scanCONTROL laser profile scanners for measurement applications include:
- Edge angle measurement of plasterboard
- Automated machining of finished surfaces
- Profile measurement of roof-tiles
- Checking the dimensions of extrusion
Dimensional measurement is only one aspect of quality control in manufacturing building and construction materials. In some cases, manufacturers also need to determine the colour of the products to ensure that they match the provided values.
Failures to meet the standard set by the customers will result in products going to waste. An inline colour sensor can be integrated into the production line for this application.
Locally, Micro-Epsilon scanCONTROL profile scanners have been used to develop an automated inspection machine to determine the dimension and profile of plasterboards. This is done through local system integrators to design and program the interface. Some of these systems have been used in the actual production environment with satisfactory performance.
Bestech Australia is a leading provider of sensors, measurement and control technology for various industries, including manufacturing.
It offers a wide range of sensors, such as laser profile scanners, colour sensors, material testing systems and other high-precision measurement systems from world-leading manufacturers, such as Micro-Epsilon.
It has supplied to the local industry and manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand, and has established partnerships with these companies for long-term collaboration.
Combining more than 40 years of experience in sensors and industrial measurement applications, Bestech can assist you in selecting the most suitable technology for your manufacturing applications.
It can be for product quality inspection, equipment assessment or condition monitoring of machinery. Its team of experts can work closely with you to understand your specific requirements and recommend the best solutions for your application.
Bestech’s engineers come from diverse backgrounds and have been trained in sensor applications.
Therefore, they can guide you in choosing the right technology for your project, considering accuracy, speed, budget and ease of use. They can also assist with installation, calibration, and provide training and after-sales technical support to ensure you get the correct measurement data.
Contact them today at 03 9540 5100 to enquire about their products and services.
Speak with one of our engineers to find out how we can assist you in improving your manufacturing process with high-precision sensors.