Lano boosts artificial grass quality and cuts waste with Hammer-IMS control system

According to Karel, Project Director at Lano, the company previously lacked a dedicated control system for its coating line. "Up until now, we actually didn’t have a control system to know how much coating was applied to our artificial grass," Karel stated. "That’s actually very important for us."

The High Stakes of Precision

Karel detailed three key areas where precise latex application is crucial:

1. Product Quality and Weight: Lano’s artificial grass, used on football and hockey fields both locally and abroad, must meet strict weight tolerances. "A field or artificial grass project can be rejected if the weight falls outside the tolerance range," Karel explained. Too much latex makes the final product too heavy, leading to costly rejections.
2. Tuft Binding: Conversely, applying too little latex results in an insufficient bond between the yarns and the backing. "If there’s a lot of movement on it, the fibers can come loose. That’s also not acceptable."
3. Cost Control: Any latex applied beyond the planned amount is a direct financial loss. "If we apply more latex than planned, that simply costs us more money."

Real-Time Adjustments and Visual Feedback

The Hammer-IMS system provides Lano’s operators with immediate, "right on the line" data. This allows for instant corrections that were impossible before.

"We can immediately adjust if there’s too little or too much latex," Karel said. The system uses an intuitive visual interface to simplify operations. "If the weight matches the target value... it’s green. If the weight is too low or too high, it turns red. Then the operator can quickly make adjustments."

A Non-Radioactive Technological Advantage

The collaboration was facilitated by Lecleir and Meert, a Belgian-based sales agency that represents textile machinery producers, including Hammer-IMS.

Bas van der Gucht, owner of Lecleir and Meert, highlighted the key technical benefit of the Hammer-IMS solution. "The big advantages of this system are that it is a non-radioactive system, unlike the competition," he said.

This non-radioactive technology not only simplifies installation and use but also allows for a more comprehensive analysis of the product. According to Bas, it "makes it easier to install multiple heads on one machine, and therefore to have a much better overview across the full width of the artificial grass or carpet."