In the production of complex folding cartons, such as six-packs and other special designs, it is more cost-efficient to monitor gluing with line scan cameras than with individual sensors upwards of a certain number of glue joints. Baumer hhs has developed a new linear lighting system based on high-power LEDs that accelerates job changeovers on folder-gluers by several minutes.
The overall design of the new linear lighting system with high-power LEDs is geared entirely to optimum illumination. “Monitoring glue application with line scan cameras requires uniform, very bright lighting so the cameras can reliably verify quality even at high machine speeds. Our new solution guarantees this level of lighting, even at distances of up to 250 mm, meaning customers can install it above the belt guides in their folder-gluers. In other words, our new linear lighting system does not need to be readjusted or reconfigured during job changeovers. The setup time otherwise required for this task can be eliminated. Our system also significantly facilitates the work of machine operators,” says Thomas Walther, head of business development at Baumer hhs. The advantages, he explains, add up to even greater savings the more often folding carton manufacturers reconfigure their folder-gluers.
The company says the new lighting is a substitute for the mercury-containing UV tubes still used by many folding carton manufacturers to inspect quality in adhesive applications. “These controversial lamps currently are exempt under the RoHS Directive, but the exemption probably won’t be renewed due to occupational safety concerns. Folding carton manufacturers who still work with UV tubes for quality inspection will need a suitable alternative. And we can provide it with our new linear lighting system.”
The company claims that machine operators need not reconfigure the lighting during job changeovers with the new light, which virtually rules out the risk of damage. In short, the new lighting system reduces setup times and significantly enhances occupational safety for machine operators.