June 25, 2014 - IMS Systems, Inc. has developed an optical width gauge that uses the most advanced technology to measure edge crack, hole/pinhole and strip contour defects in cold processing environments. The IMS Camera Cluster Systems (CCS) Gauge is compact, lightweight and affordable. Its other valuable featuresinclude an air or water blow-off system for the harshest environments, and the abilities to monitor for dirt and remain unaffected by ambient light. Benefits include low maintenance, long operating life, no moving parts, a high degree of accuracy and easy retrofitting to existing lines.
The CCS Gauge weighs just over 300 lbs, compared to the previous generation model’s weight of nearly 1 ton. It measures strip or sheet of any thickness and is accurate to within four one-thousandths of an inch (0.004 in.) in environments with ambient temperatures up to 120 degrees. In addition to helping produce defect-free steel, the CCS Gauge can also be adapted to production lines handling aluminum and tin plate packaging materials. Functions the gauge can help to perform include inspection, recoiling, cut-to-length, slitting, coating and foil separation.
“With the ability to measure width, edge crack and holes, this innovative measuring solution is really three gauges in one,” says John Buckman, IMS’s general manager and vice president of operations. “Its versatility, precision and affordability make it a unique and valuable addition to the marketplace.”
The CCS Gauge’s optical technology was developed by XAPT, a company based in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. IMS has an ownership stake in XAPT, which produces customized optical systems for industrial and commercial applications.
Development of the CCS Gauge has occurred shortly after the introduction of the XR Gauge, an x-ray measuring system the company created to assess the thickness of ferrous and non-ferrous strip.
