L-Ray laser sensor for sheet metal thickness quality control

Extending Marveloc offering with digital L-Ray laser sensor

The non-nuclear M-Ray based solutions for thickness and grammage measurement has proven to be successful in textiles, nonwovens, plastics and other industries. In addition, Hammer-IMS is extending its Marveloc sensor family with digital L-Ray laser sensors to drive more complete quality control experiences in a variety of applications across markets. By combining multiple Marveloc technologies, manufacturers can retrieve even more information from measurements taken with a single Hammer-IMS machine.

Measuring the differential thickness of sheet metal

The L-Ray sensor of Hammer-IMS is a laser time of flight (TOF) or triangulation sensor, for hybrid thickness measurement or detection purposes. The L-Ray sensor technology of Hammer-IMS applies two opposing laser sensors to measure the differential thickness of sheet metal. The emitted laser spots of each L-Ray sensor must be properly aimed and aligned along the entire measurement span. Metal in general exhibits sufficient reflectivity for laser-based thickness measurement. As a result, the operation of L-Ray sensors is material independent without requiring alloy-dependent calibration.

Accurate and reliable quality control ensures uniform thickness

Sheet metal (e.g. aluminum, brass, copper, steel, tin, nickel, titanium, etc.) is formed by an industrial process into thin flat sheet material stored as large coils, mostly through rolling or extrusion. Parts manufactured from sheet metal must maintain a uniform thickness for ideal results. Inline sheet metal manufacturers benefit from highly accurate and reliable L-Ray sensors, which correctly distinguish between good and scrap product.