Partnership Launches Inline Surface Inspection of Aluminium Profiles
ASCONA and D-CUBE have announced a strategic partnership and launch of a holistic solution for inline surface inspection of aluminium profiles. The partnership combines a state-of-the-art product with proven excellence for some of the largest aluminium extrusion plants in Europe, with years of industrial experience and a worldwide service network.
Promex CYRUS, based on artificial intelligence (AI), detects different types of surface defects in real time, regardless of the shape, number and size of the extruded profile strands and converts them into meaningful warning messages.
“We are very pleased to add this great product to our existing portfolio. Our collaboration with D-cube enables the aluminium industry to benefit from comprehensive dimensional and surface quality improvement by a single supplier and reliable partner.” Alexander Daniker, CEO ASCONA. “It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with ASCONA and seize the opportunity to radically change the future of the aluminium industry.” Dimitris Katsikas, CEO D-cube.
Intelligent Alerting of Press Operators
The press operator receives real-time alerts for recurring errors via an intuitive user interface, indicating deterioration of surface quality and rejects. The meaningful warning messages enable the operator to initiate targeted corrective measures at an early stage.
The system is capable of detecting bubbles, stop-marks, snap-marks, pickups, scratches, twists, tearing and rough surfaces.
AI Data Management System
A holistic cloud-based solution that stores the surface inspection data of each production line in one or more extrusion lines and offers multiple benefits for various departments:
Plant management: Real-time monitoring of production
Quality assurance: Error overview for each production and online tools to evaluate the detection rate of artificial intelligence
Extrusion management: Early detection of scrap and powerful tools for production optimization
Maintenance management: Surface log for each tool to initiate proactive repairs
IT Management: Extensive data pool for use in value-adding business intelligence reports
“The reliable detection of surface defects inline, shortly after the profile contour was formed in the tool, was already a vision many years ago to improve surface quality and reduce rejects. promex CYRUS has made this possible and is a step into a new decade for the world of aluminium extrusion. For continuous improvement, we need verifiable answers that include not only dimensions and mechanical properties, but also surface quality from order to order. We are now able to compare the impact of different press parameters and tool designs to maximize surface quality and minimize scrap associated with surface quality. In addition to this continuous improvement potential, promex CYRUS also offers us an intelligent alarm system that immediately warns the press operator of quality losses such as cracks, bubbles or pick-ups. In this way, decisions are made more quickly at the press. By using a camera below the initial table, our press operators are informed in one second about any error that they can hardly detect with their eyes due to the difficult position to see. We are very satisfied with the detection quality of promex CYRUS and would not want to do without this system anymore” comments Dr. Raphael Mertens Extrusion Process Manager Hydro Nenzing.
For more information: www.d-cube.eu