E-Archive

Articles

in Vol. 21 - July Issue - Year 2020
WIFI Lining Wireless Wear Sensor - WWS for Industry 4.0

Pictures 1 and 2 show the bottom of a working bowl for vibratory finishing, where the anti-abrasive polyurethane lining has been worn out and, quickly, also the thick steel body of the bowl has been perforated by the action of the abrasives

Pictures 1 and 2 show the bottom of a working bowl for vibratory finishing, where the anti-abrasive polyurethane lining has been worn out and, quickly, also the thick steel body of the bowl has been perforated by the action of the abrasives

Pictures 3, 4 and 5 show, respectively: the inside exhaust-filter of the working bowl, around which the Wear Sensor is submerged; the remaining pictures show the side view of the working bowl where three leads are positioned to inform status by colour: yellow = electronic circuit check ok; green = lining ok; red = lining worn-out; thereby proceeding to schedule the relining task!

Pictures 3, 4 and 5 show, respectively: the inside exhaust-filter of the working bowl, around which the Wear Sensor is submerged; the remaining pictures show the side view of the working bowl where three leads are positioned to inform status by colour: yellow = electronic circuit check ok; green = lining ok; red = lining worn-out; thereby proceeding to schedule the relining task!

Pictures 6 and 7 show, respectively: before and after the Rollwasch re-lining service, which is offered on a multi-brand basis, for the most popular brands and types of working bowls in Europe

Pictures 6 and 7 show, respectively: before and after the Rollwasch re-lining service, which is offered on a multi-brand basis, for the most popular brands and types of working bowls in Europe

Rollwasch® Italiana S.p.a. is a specialized manufacturer of vibratory finishing equipment and surface finishing systems, that in recent years has produced several systems according to Industry 4.0 specs for different clients in various industrial fields.

Rollwasch® Italiana S.p.a. has growth of 70 years of experience in design and manufacturing, also of finishing compounds and media, water treatment plants and more and more sophisticated automatic or robotic finishing systems, always aiming for the customer's satisfaction.

The recent evolution of technologies and technical requirements in some fields like power, aerospace, medical, automotive, and food systems, s inviting manufacturers like Rollwasch® Italiana S.p.a. to explore all possible High-Tech available resources, and to offer innovative and/or exclusive solutions and safeguards in the surface-finishing field.

After a couple of years of improvements and evaluations, started in 2018, Rollwasch® Italiana S.p.a. is ready this year to introduce the Lining Wireless Wear Sensors as a reliable and innovative component of its machines and systems.

This useful innovation has been possible thanks to the partnership with the Italian Company Techno Surface SAS (www.technosurface.it), a specialist in metrology - between other activities - who has the ownership of the patent pending demand covering the use of WWS in Europe.

This technology in fact, has been designed for several different kinds of applications, where the wearing detection is required, not only for the lining of the vibratory finishing machines working bowls.  

Nevertheless, the first Mass Metal Finishing Specialist in the world who has explored the opportunity to use WWS and participate in its development and testing in this specific field of application has been Rollwasch® Italiana S.p.a.

In 2018, the first Lining Wear Sensor was made on a small pilot unit of about 120-liter capacity. Its technology in the beginning was composed of the exoskeleton supporting the sensors, drowned inside the polyurethane lining at the time of pouring it in the mould (when the polyurethane is liquid, before catalysis in the oven).

What is shown in the three pictures of the red bowl was the first step in 2018 - now, starting from 2020 at Rollwasch® Italiana S.p.a., we are focusing on offering the re-lining after-sales service including the option of a wireless sensor to be associated with a receiver station that can be combined with an existing machine or with more units, all based on the customer's requirements.

The exoskeleton positioned inside the working bowl then covered with the liquid PU remains in a very stable position inside the lining once it is hardened - therefore, as soon as a lining thickness of 25 mm. is worn down to 6 - 7 mm., the sensor communicates the alarm to "re-line the bowl!".

The exoskeleton positioned inside the working bowl, in this example, of an existing tank with brand different from Rollwasch®, can be connected to a "communication box" applied externally to the working bowl.  The client will be given back the working bowl with the new lining, its communication box, and a separate receiver that can be positioned over the control board of the machine, connected to a standard 220 V plug. Every time the machine vibrates, the sensor will automatically detect the thickness of the lining - ready to send an alarm whenever the lining thickness would reach 1/3 or 1/4 of the original thickness.

Alternatively, in a new Rollwasch® vibratory finishing machine, the communication exchange between the working bowl and the control board will be implemented in the software of the PLC and/or in a sophisticated compatible Industry 4.0 system.

For Information: 
Rollwasch® Italiana S.p.a.
Via San Carlo, 21, 20847 Albiate (MB), Italia
Tel. +39.0362.930334, Fax +39.0362.931440
E-mail: info@rollwasch.it
www.rollwasch.it