QUALITY & CONTROL SYSTEM (QCS) ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Scantech systems are manufactured with open architecture and modular equipements and can freely communicate with customer systems. Scantech modularity concept is based on the 3 main characteristics:

The equipment must be independent and self-sufficient: it fulfils the tasks it has been designed to perform.

The equipment modules can flexibly be assembled in the best configuration that suits the customer’s application.

The equipment itself is designed in a modular fashion

INDEPENDENCE AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Each device is equipped with its own intelligence: it minimizes external wiring.

The scanner’s function is to produce accurate measurements on its own: with correct physical units, useable by other equipements and by customer system.

The function of an operator interface is to drive a QCS system: it displays measurement data, accept commands, display status and reports: in no case, be involved in the manufacturing process or in the measurement computations.

The control system function is to compute set-points and to apply them.

ASSEMBLY OF THE MODULES

The Scanners, Control Systems, and User Interfaces can be assembled in any quantity for different network topologies. 

EQUIPMENT MODULARITY

The equipements themselves are designed as an assembly of sub-modules to achieve a high level of standardization.

OPENNESS

Each device is equipped with configurable communication ports to support data exchange standards such as OPC UA.

These qualities provide Scantech customers with very important benefits:

Reliability: Is the result of the high level of standardization.

Ease of maintenance: In addition to component standardization, it is the result of the distribution of tasks.

Reduction of spare parts inventories: Is also the result of standardization

Scalability: Our approach allows easily the addition of new equipment to any initial configuration.

Long term sustainability: Is also a direct consequence of the modularity of the equipment.

Scantech offers three main types of equipment:

Scanners that provides the measurement data needed to control the manufacturing process and to determine the quality of produced materials.

Control Systems, whose function is to drive the manufacturing line: production parameters are measured within the customer defined tolerances of quality.

User Interfaces (for operators, production supervisor, maintenance team or quality manager…) drive the scanners and control systems(commands, parameters, status…) and display quality parameters in real time.

They also provide statistical processing, reporting, and archiving amongst a lot of other functions.

USER’S INTERFACE

FLEXSCAN, intuitive Scantech User’s Interface, help the operator to improve the production quality, reduce the scrap increase reactivity & productivity.

FLEXSCAN: A REAL ADDED-VALUE TO IMPROVE YOUR PROCESS

FLEXSCAN software allows:

Measurement data display

Measurement settings

Equipment status display

Equipment command

Embedded documentation

FLEXSCAN IS A DISTRIBUTED SOFTWARE

FLEXSCAN can be distributed on several computers at different places of a production line.

FLEXSCAN also handles:

Production orders

Production recipes

Data archiving and report creation (roll/production reports etc)

Different access levels are available:

Operator level: designed to be easy and user friendly. Access is limited to standard operating procedures

Production manager level: adds the possibility to change page layout and recipe information

Advanced or maintenance level: full access to all machine parameters and maintenance information

FLEXSCAN SUPPORTS ALL LANGAGES

One can change language on the fly passing for example from Chinese to German then to English while the system is running.

FLEXSCAN allows to display different kind of profiles:

– Standard profiles (individual scan profiles, composite profiles of rank “n”, exponential profile, roll average…)

– Standard trends, that represent the evolution in machine direction (roll trend, production trend)

– Macro-profiles (set of profiles on a specific zone of the web)

All charts offer the possibility to change scales, to centre the display on the target values or on the minimum and maximum values, to display all the statistics required.

With FLEXSCAN, the operator has also access to:

– alarms

– commands and settings

– recipes

– reports

The ULO3 (Ultra Light O-Frames) scanner series has been designed to be very compact. Nevertheless, their maintenance is amazingly easy. Thanks to a wide range of sensors, they can be used in numerous types of applications.

The Ultra -Light O-frame (ULO3) scanner takes on-line measurement and process control to the next level. Engineered with an extremely compact O-frame, compact sensors and several energy-saving features, this technology is one of the market’s most functional, accurate and environmentally friendly scanning solutions.

Unlike competing products, ULO3 scanners do not require hazardous radioactive sources such as gamma back-scatter sensors. They are manufactured with fewer fabricated parts, minimal amount of electrical components and cabling, and advanced electronic devices. The result is a more robust system with greater production and cost-saving benefits. Scantech is leading the process control industry in offering a safer and greener alternative to nuclear/radioactive technology.

The ULO3 scanner series is defined by functionality.

• The frame compactness allows the scanner to be installed in very reduced spaces.
• The scanner can be mounted on a production line from below, suspended from above or installed at angles up to 15° from horizontal.
• The measurement heads are supported on the sides of the scanner frame to eliminate the risk of dust or grease falling onto the measured material. This feature enables the scanner to be used in ultra-clean environments.
• All electrical components, including the motor, are located inside scanner enclosures which can be pressurized.

• The scanner’s drive system is tightly shielded by the frame and associated covers. If needed, the inside of the frame can be lightly pressurized to prevent unwanted dust and fibers from entering.
• Maintenance is extremely simple and operator friendly.  For instance, linear bearings can be changed without any sensor realignment.
• The scanner has an embedded web server, gathering all the maintenance tools, which allows the maintenance to be performed by any interface (PCs, pads, smart phones).
• Through smart phones or pads, remote control can be performed via a Wifi connection to the Scantech network.
• The ULO3 is adaptable to any electrical power supply with power consumption below 250 watts (less than a small household appliance).

The ULO series is equipped with our SSA3 electronics architecture which has unique computing capabilities, ultra-powerful maintenance tools and external communication via Ethernet.