EoW November 2009

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EuroWire – November 2009 60
Testing & measuring
The Institute of Spring Technology (IST) has its own range of spring testing machines,
originally developed for in-house use due to the lack of suitably accurate machines in
the market place.
IST understands springs and the very special requirements that a spring test machine
has to meet, both in its precision and flexibility in use for the spring maker and user.
The IST range includes:
Computer controlled com- •
pression and extension
load test machines from
0.1N to 50kN capacity.
These testers exceed the
requirements of EN ISO
7500-1: 2004 class 0.5. (The
software supplied with
these machines is available
in a range of languages and
has been praised for its user
friendliness)
Torsion spring test •
machines from 0.002Nmm
to 100Nm capacity
Fatigue test machines with •
1 – 12 test stations. The
stroke can be as little as
0.1mm and up to 300mm,
with spring loads from 0.1N
to 50kN
Fracmat wire coilability machine, developed and sold exclusively by IST, capacity •
0.3 – 3.2mm spring wire
Non-axial compression spring load testers •
Specials - IST has the design expertise to accommodate most unusual spring
•
test requirements
Also available is the computer refit and refurbishment of used test machines (of any
make, but subject to suitability for upgrading).
Institute of Spring Technology – UK Fax: +44 114 252 7997
Email: Website:
Length measuring
for stranded products
Sikora is offering a newly developed length measuring system, Length 6000, for non-contact online measurement of produced
lengths of stranded products. For this method, the product profile and its movement are defined and thus the speed and the
produced length calculated.
The technology of the Length 6000 is based on an optical measuring principle. In combination with two laser diodes, two image
sensors are positioned next to each other. The product passes the first image sensor, which defines the shadow of the product shape.
The exposure of the second image sensor occurs when the product shape, which has been recorded by the first image sensor, passes
the second sensor. Hence, the characteristics of the shapes of both sensors are identical. The delay time for the exposure of the
second image sensor is calculated and controlled adequately by the result of the correlation of both characteristics of the contours.
Thus, Length 6000 exactly determines the produced length of the cable.
Conventional length measuring devices using the principle of frequency shift, the Doppler-effect, are suitable for the measurement of
flat materials such as paper, steel sheet or textile. However, this technology bears difficulties for length measurement of profiles with
round or blank surfaces. The technology of the Length 6000 is also reliable for round products and for products with blank surfaces.
The system calculates the length independent from whether the product is going forward or backward. Moreover, the measurements
start at zero line speed. The use of a length measuring device in cable production lines can contribute to production cost savings.
Sikora AG – Germany Fax: +49 421 48900 90
Email: Website:
IST – LT2 load tester ▲ ▲
Spring testing OEM panel-mounted
spring gauge
Larson Systems has announced the
introduction of the Tiger CNC, believed
to be the first OEM panel-mounted spring
gauge.
Measuring just 3.5" x 7" x 1.4" deep and
weighing a mere 0.99lb (0.45kg) the Tiger
CNC mounts directly onto the control
panel of a spring coiling machine.
The digital gauge allows spring manu-
facturers to sort springs directly through
the coiler’s electronics, a separate com-
puter interface is not required. Operators
don’t have to understand capacitance
measurement, the Tiger CNC does it
for them.
The Tiger CNC is available with two
software packages, Tiger and Super Tiger,
which give it comparable functionality to
Larson’s Lynx or Panther gauges.
Designed to be faster than previous
gauges, the Tiger CNC uses standard LION
protocol setups and techniques and is
compatible with all LSI probes and sorters.
Larson Systems Inc – USA
Fax: +1 763 780 2182
Email:
Website:
The Tiger CNC spring gauge ▲ ▲