by Farabi Nishi
How much could a few microns cost your production?
During the edge trimming of sheet metal coils, wear and even damage to the cutting tools is unavoidable. However, it is possible to prevent damaged edges from going undetected and being processed further.
When metal sheets are formed into components, even small defects like thinning, cracks or rough edges become a major quality concern, affecting the reliability of the finished part. Detecting these issues early helps manufacturers maintain consistent quality and reduce scrap.
For steel producers and sheet-metal manufacturers, quality is not just a matter of aesthetics. Metal sheets become even more critical when processed in other industries, such as automotive, where the product might undergo forming procedures for body panels and structural components. If the original product already suffers from thinning and cracking, it will not be able to withstand pressure/fatigue stress. Hence why it is key to prevent defective items from moving forward along the steel production line and reaching customers.
Our SE-Inspector solution combines AT Sensors’ C6 Series 3D laser profile sensors with our specialized software, developed in-house, to support precise, high-speed inspection of metal edge geometry and near-real-time analysis of measurement data.
C6 Series: High-speed and high-precision 3D scanning
The C6 Series uses 3D laser line triangulation to project a laser line onto the steel edge and measure its shape as a three-dimensional profile. Unlike conventional 2D imaging, 3D scanning provides detailed geometric data about the material, helping reveal minimal variations in height and edge shape.
AT A GLANCE | Key features for anomaly detection:
- High depth resolution: Selected CS Series models offer Z-resolution of up to 0.1 µm, enabling the measurement of very small changes in surface height.
- High lateral resolution: Closely spaced measuring points along the edge capture detailed geometric information, helping identify small irregularities.
- Blue-laser technology: Blue laser light supports precise measurement on reflective metal surfaces, making it well suited to demanding steel inspection applications.
- High-speed data acquisition: In the steel-sheet edge inspection application, the C6 captures profiles at up to 174 kHz and supports steel-strip speeds of up to 350 m/min, enabling inspection at high production speeds.
Turning Measurement Data into Inspection Insights
Capturing precise 3D profiles is only part of the inspection process. Thanks to our SE-Inspector software our clients can obtain data feedback and analysis in real-time. This supports more consistent inspection and helps operators respond quickly to errors before they lead to greater material waste or downstream quality issues. The technology can also be easily integrated into existing production workflows, strengthening inspection without necessarily requiring a complete production-line overhaul.
Improve your production quality control today with Selmatec’s SE-Inspector for advanced 3D edge measurement. Contact our team of experts to discover this and more solutions for your production requirements.