Extrusion International 2-2023

37 Extrusion International 2/2023 “You get a measurement you trust” H Ö HLE uses SIKORA’s X-ray measuring systems for inline quality control of microducts HÖHLE is a manufacturer of first-class microducts that are used for building fiber-optical networks to house optical fiber cables as a protective channel. Located in Estonia, the company uses SIKORA X-ray measuring systems in its plant for quality control during the extrusion of microducts. The cooperation between both companies is based on their mutual commitment to deliver high quality products to fulfil the customer demands. K nown for short lead times and flexible services to its customers, HÖHLE puts high emphasis on the quality of the microducts they produce. Thus, they only use pure raw material of the highest quality and have also included continuous online measuring and control systems in the manufacturing process. For measuring the inner and outer diameter, wall thickness and ec- centricity of the microducts the company has installed three X-ray based X-RAY 6000 PRO devices from SIKO- RA in their lines to measure microducts within diam - eter ranges between 3 and 20 mm. “The advantage of the X-RAY systems is that you are confident about the measured values and you get correct product dimen- sions immediately with the start-up of the line with 'one shot',” explains Toomas Koobas, CEO at HÖHLE, and adds, “For microduct production, continuous in- line monitoring is the key factor when talking about quality. This can be achieved with SIKORA devices.” Special at HÖHLE is the use of three separate monitors of the ECOCONTROL 6000 processor system connected to each X-ray device. These allow the operators to have constantly access to the current measuring values. The real-time visualization is the secret of a perfect process control. Compared to alternative technologies for quali- ty control such as ultrasound, X-ray technology provides consistent measuring values without being affected by temperatures, or material. There is no need for coupling media and there is no calibration required. “With X-ray you get a measurement you trust and a guarantee of compliancewithmicroduct specifications,” says Koobas. For utmost quality control HÖH- LE also uses SIKORA lump detec- tors in their lines. These systems detect the smallest non-confor- mities on the microducts surface. The operator receives immediate information in case of a fault and can take necessary actions. The combination of X-ray measuring systems and lump detection dur - ing the manufacturing process ensure the highest microduct quality for highest customer sat- isfaction. SIKORA AG Bruchweide 2, 28307 Bremen, Germany www.sikora.net From left: Toomas Koobas, CEO, and Production Manager, Marko Hoolma, at HÖHLE in the microduct production plant in Estonia For utmost quality control HÖHLE includes the LUMP 2000 for lump and neckdown detection in the microduct extrusion lines HÖHLE uses the X-RAY 6000 PRO for dimension measurement during the production of microducts MEASURING TECHNOLOGY – CASE STUDY