Control of double metal sheet foil

The many man-machine safety solutions presented at SPS/IPC/Drives Italia by Masautomazione also featured the control sensor for double metal laminate sheet foil (stainless steel, copper, ferrous and non ferrous metals etc.) with gauges of 0.025 mm up to approx. 1 cm, produced by the US company Prime Controls Inc.

Mainly used in filling lines for soft drinks, this sensor can check the double sheet foil on the can feeder aluminium belt, and also verify the presence of the can top after welding, as well as the presence of the tab on the top.
Thanks to its fast response time (less than 5 msec), it is used in-line on production or test machines, avoiding costly stops and the output of non-standard parts. The Prime Controls system is generally formed by one or two small sized sensors (Ø 18 or 30 mm) and a separate control unit. It has a simple operation: after installing the sensor and connecting it to the control unit, the metal sheet foil sample is positioned and the calibration button is pressed; then a second sheet of the same sample is placed to simulate the double sheet and the button is pressed again. One only need perform these elementary operations to complete the calibration and install the system, and to “arouse” the output relay that goes quiet once the double sheet foil has passed. The small footprint of this component, its easy and speedy calibration, the wide range of sensors and control units suitable for different sheet thicknesses and different types of materials, make the Prime Controls system reliable and applicable to any type of machine.

Many new features in the catalogue Nearly fifty years of activity, ISO 9011:2008 certification, a group of technical experts and a wide range of equipment produced by leading companies in nations with advanced technology, aboveall Europe, USA and Japan, lie at the basis of Masautomazione’s success. At the Parma fair the Segrate (MI) based concern presented many interesting innovations of the companies it represents, including a new SLVario brand modular and fully expandable safety PLC from the German company Dina, without any need for a preset rack, even after the initial purchase.