Measurement of Coarse Wire in Steel Rolling Mills Using 2D/3D Profile Sensors
During the production of coarse wire in steelworks, billets up to 1,200°C must be rolled and then checked for geometric quality characteristics such as diameter, ovality, rolling or surface defects. There are specially developed measuring systems for this purpose that enable a 360° image of the wire in micrometer-precise resolution with four 2D/3D profile sensors each. In the profile sensors, which work ideally on red-hot steel with blue light, point clouds are initially created, which are then combined and visualized to form an overall image using 3D software.

Surface Inspection of a PHEV Battery Cell Using 2D/3D Profile Sensors in Automotive Construction
In electric car assembly lines, PHEV battery surfaces must be checked for foreign bodies such as screws with micrometer accuracy. These foreign bodies can lead to serious damage and thus to a high risk of fire. For optical surface inspection, four 2D/3D profile sensors are guided over the battery via a linear unit to measure the area. The height profiles are then combined into a 3D point cloud, which is analyzed using software. Thanks to laser class 2M, precise results are achieved and reflections are suppressed.

Weld Inspection in Cold-Rolling Plants with 2D/3D Profile Sensors
On cold rolling lines, steel strips are welded alternately by a welding machine in a fully automatic process in order to maintain processing around the clock. The quality and thickness of the weld seam must be continuously checked in order to avoid damage to subsequent processing units. For this purpose, a 2D/3D profile sensor is installed above and below the steel strip on a traversing unit, which traverses the weld seam and measures it with micrometer precision. In this way, faulty seams can be identified immediately and corrected if tolerance values are exceeded.

Height and Angle Measurement of Ice Cream Cups via 2D/3D Profile Sensors
After ice cream is filled cups, it has to be checked that the applied cardboard lids are present and in the correct position. A 2D/3D profile sensor with IP69K degree of protection detects the entire width of the production line via laser triangulation – and thus all tracks of the conveyor technology simultaneously. Both the presence as well as the cup height and the angle of the placed lids are precisely measured – to the nearest millimeter. Web-based visualization directly on the system reports the status of the results.

Weld Seam Detection on Metal Objects via 2D/3D Profile Sensors
To ensure the quality of all types of welding seams on metallic objects, they must be visually inspected using a standardized procedure. Faults such as cracks, scratches, weld spatters, pores, indentations or edge offsets must be reliably detected. A 2D/3D profile sensor is installed on a robot arm for this purpose. This moves the contour of the welding seam, measures the seam with micrometer accuracy via laser triangulation and generates a 2D height profile. High sampling rates and high resolutions enable short cycle times and high profile quality.

Weld Seam Tracking in Robot Cells via 2D/3D Profile Sensors
In fully automatic robot welding cells, it is necessary to determine the exact position of joints before the welding process. For this purpose, a 2D/3D profile sensor is mounted directly in front of the welding torch on the robot. The special design created especially for the application is particularly compact in order to minimize the occurrence of interference contours on the welding torch. The sensor now detects the joint via laser triangulation. The guide point is determined via uniVision software and sent to the control system. A web correction is now carried out using this information and the weld seam is placed.

Width Measurement of Steel Strips via 2D/3D Profile Sensors
When manufacturing strip steel, the exact width of the strip must be ensured. If the strip is too narrow, the edges will not touch and there will be no welding seam. If the strip is too wide, the material will be compressed too much. To carry out this measurement with micrometer accuracy, several 2D/3D profile sensors are installed in a line above the steel strip. There, they measure the glossy strip with measuring frequencies of up to 6,000 Hz. If a tolerance value is exceeded, the strip stops immediately. Vibrations and ambient light have no influence on the accuracy of the measured data.

Diameter and Roundness Check on Pipelines via 2D/3D Profile Sensors
For accurate quality control of pipelines for oil or gas networks, the diameter, roundness and straightness of these large crude oil conveyors must be recorded and the surface inspected. To achieve a micrometer-accurate measurement, twelve 2D/3D profile sensors are installed in a measuring portal in a circle around the pipeline. The sensors can be calibrated in the space. The 2D measurement data collected via laser triangulation is then merged into a combined height profile and evaluated via VisionApp 360. Related applications can be found here.

Diameter Check of Round Cardboard Sleeves with 2D/3D Profile Sensors
During production, the cardboard sleeves have to be inspected for constant diameters on the entire length. That’s important for further processes: Varying diameters may cause overlaps and steps when wallpapers, carpets or paper webs are winded onto the tubes. To calculate the diameter to the nearest tenth of a millimeter, a 2D/3D profile sensor is mounted next to the round cardboard sleeves. This measures the object using the spiral winding method via laser triangulation. The configurable uniVision software, which runs on the control unit, then determines the diameter of the sleeves. Related applications can be found here.

Sealing Bead Check for Passenger Car Windscreens via 2D/3D Profile Sensor
Before the final assembly of windshields on passenger car bodies, the outer edge of the glass panes is automatically fitted with a sealing bead by robot. A 2D/3D profile sensor mounted behind the dosing unit checks the correct application of the adhesive by measuring the bead profile with micrometer precision. The 2D height profile is assessed via the integrated uniVision standard software. If the measurement data deviates from the defined tolerance values, for example because insufficient sealing compound was applied, the robot is immediately stopped and the pane is ejected.

Gap and Flush Measurement on Car Bodies via 2D/3D Profile Sensors
In the automotive industry, gap and flush dimensions on car bodies must be recorded with micrometer precision. After final assembly, robot arms are each equipped with two profile sensors in special measuring stations. Fully automatic measurement on defined surfaces of doors, windows, trims and headlights takes place in motion. Thanks to the integrated UV light, even transparent objects such as windows or headlights can be measured with complete precision. The 2D/3D profile sensors work on all common automotive paints.

Dimensional Accuracy Check of Plastic Profiles via 2D/3D Profile Sensors
Plastic profiles for windows or doors must be precisely checked for contour defects and specified dimensions after the extrusion process. Four circumferentially installed 2D/3D profile sensors measure the passing profile to the exact micrometer in 360 degrees. Via the control unit (IPC) and uniVision image processing software, in combination with the VisionApp 360, the individual 2D height profiles are joined, combined into a 3D model, analyzed and compared with defined geometry data.