At this year's METEC in Düsseldorf, IMS Messsysteme GmbH will present the optimized version of its Inclusion Detection System (IDS) for cold-rolled strip steels. The innovation works on the basis of the magnetic flux leakage principle and detects previously undetectable defects in coated and uncoated thin and thin sheets from 0.1 to 1 mm thickness precisely, without contact and at high speed during the running process.
Inclusion detection system for steel cold rolling mills
Steel cold rolling mills can use the Inclusion Detection System to ensure the homogeneous material structure and thus the perfect quality of strip steel before it is further processed with high degrees of deformation.
The material density and surface quality of cold-rolled steel is essential for subsequent processing into high-quality products. The smallest material defects of various kinds can lead to material weaknesses in the form of inhomogeneities only becoming visible at the very end of a processing operation such as coating, leading to material fractures in forming processes or even damaging tools in the production process. This is not only associated with high follow-up costs, but ultimately also with the risk of loss of customer confidence.
Until now, manufacturers have used optical inspection systems with camera and sensor technology as well as industrial image processing to check the surface condition of strip steels. However, if the material has internal inclusions, shell defects or optically undetectable surface defects, these have so far remained undetected with conventional testing and measuring methods.
Industrial production process
With the new version of the Inclusion Detection System, cold-rolled strip steels up to 1 mm thick can now also be detected; previously, the system was limited to the range of thinner ultra-fine sheets. Thus, from now on, not only tinplate producers but also, for example, manufacturers of steels for the automotive industry will benefit from the novel inline measurement system.
"In contrast to an optical surface inspection system, the Inclusion Detection System (IDS) is able to detect defects that are often located completely within the material and for which there are no discernible signs on the material surface. With the further developed IDS, we enable producers of ultra-fine and now also thin sheet as well as their customers to check the quality of the material for internal inclusions, shell defects and minimal surface defects before further processing. Internal inclusions lead to material fractures in the deep-drawing process, for example, and shell defects with a small height difference that are concealed by a coating often only become visible on finished car parts in the form of visual irregularities," explains Christian Knackstedt, Division Manager Sales & Marketing.
Early defect detection
If the system detects such defective areas, which would lead to rejects and customer complaints in subsequent processing steps, at an early stage and while the process is running, these areas can be specifically extracted from the strip. In this way, manufacturers can ensure and document the consistently high quality of their steel products. This is of particular benefit to customers who subsequently process the strip steel into high-quality products.
The IDS is of particular benefit to manufacturers of thin and ultra-thin sheets who have to guarantee the highest quality standards for the automotive or food industries. The image processing system used with feature calculation and classification distinguishes existing material defects on the basis of their size and defect type. The measuring system and the defect classification are adapted according to customer specifications and material.
