COMPUTERIZED SYSTEMS FOR FILM THICKNESS CONTROL AND PRODUCT QUALITY CERTIFICATION

Our blown and cast film lines are now more productive and flexible than ever; however even the very best in extrusion technology alone is not always enough and should be complemented with a line supervision and quality control system to ensure traceability and reproducibility. Macchi has developed a specific system called EASY CONTROL® Plus; as the name implies, the system ensures complete control of production in a user-friendly, intuitive and practical way, allowing all workers at the factory to obtain information on the state of the system and the quality of the product. The EASY CONTROL®...

Wireless version Version with Rack Polar and linear profile Previous profiles and trend

INTERNET Q3 Q1 Q8 Q2 Q7 Q5 Q13 Q14 Kw P T S T R° The architecture of the control system is based on the principle of “centralized electronics”. This means that on the control boards there are only specific required instruments such as main switches and safety alerts. Each board contains PLC centralized logics to control all the machine functions. This decision was based on over a decade of experience. We abide by the principle that a system should never have to be at standstill due to a control problem! EASY CONTROL® Plus means also this. The benefit over a “distributed electronics” principle...

ON LINE SERVICE Q6 Q10 Q9 Q11 Kg N Q4 Kg Q9 Q10 N Q12 Kw= power consuption P= melt pressure T= air cooling temperature/melt temperature S= profile control Kg= reels weighing R°= oscillating take off position N= film tension (Newton) Start - up Line running status Emergency operation panel

Macchi’s most recent developments include two new functions to make the line even more automated. The Q3 module enables management and automatic regulation of the gusseting system, minimizing the need for operator interaction in the film production. The Q5 module uses an infra-red scanning bar to enable automatic regulation of film width through the management of the IBC system and by regulating the automatic positioning of the bubble guide by means of the modules Q2 and Q8. This vastly facilitates changeover and reduces waste. Q3 Q8 Q2 Q5 R° Film gusseting • Q2 positioning of bubble guide according...

The interface should not only ensure quality control but also be user-friendly and provide a guide for system use: hence the 19-inch touch screen. There is an easily accessible main menu that lists the other main pages and their respective sub-pages for configuring the data and recipes. On each page the green button indicates a value that can be configured; the grey button indicates a value read by the instrument. The centralized electronics combined with an user-friendly interface enable quick changing of the blends and materials, minimizing the time required for changeover. Moreover, the interface...

The traceability and reproducibility of a production cycle are at the basis of a quality certification (ISO or EN). The EASY CONTROL® Plus system allows each reel to be provided with a product certificate. Whenever a reel on the extrusion line is changed and a new one is produced, a label bearing a unique barcode and a progressive number is printed (when foreseen by the Q modules) to permanently identify the created reels. This means all production data can be recovered at any time. To trace a document with a reel’s production data, simply: • scan the barcode with a specific scanner connected...