Based in Pignataro Maggiore, Campania,
Italcoat needed a surface inspection system to maintain product quality on its LV1 and LV2 organic color coating lines.These lines produce color-coated aluminum chiefly for use in pharmaceutical applications, construction, fin stock, food packaging and general use.
For surface inspection requirements, Italcoat used human eye inspection and periodic checks. However, with the speed of the lines running at approximately 150 meters per minute, these methods were inefficient in the face of increasing market demand for defect-free material.
Italcoat wanted to replace manual inspection with a continuous surface quality checking system that covered 100% of the material being processed with a view to keeping the production of scrap material to a minimum. Defects being monitored include scratches, spots, stains and uncoated areas.
Accordingly, Italcoat selected a SmartView
® inspection featuring two cameras inspecting each side of the metal, installed in brightfield with the SQM and Streaming Video packages.
The
SmartView® system reliably detects defects on Italcoat’s many different colors and surfaces, requiring only a small number of detection settings and parameters to manage the inspection system. Streaming video capabilities provide a full, real-time overview of the surface in high resolution and full width.
One of the key factors in selecting AMETEK Surface Vision was the quick adoption of
SmartView® into the production process, which provided fast results. The system delivered significant benefits to the coating lines, increasing knowledge of the defect types while optimizing the product quality and improving the process.
“The inspection tools and operator’s interface are highly modular and easy to use,” says Vincenzo Nigliato, process engineer, Italcoat S.r.l.
“Defect detection and classification parameters are under our control, and the need for support from AMETEK Surface Vision to tune the performance of the detection and classification is really low. Most importantly, our customers are now confident of getting 100% inspected material that satisfies their highest quality demands.”
“The increase in product quality has secured our repeating business, while significantly reducing scrap production," says fellow Italcoat S.r.l. process engineer Antonello Ferone.
“We have also reduced quality claims, resulting in significant cost reductions.”
Read the full Italcoat Case Study