Luna Terahertz Sensors and Gauges Provide Blow Molding and Other Process Control Insights
Luna的太赫兹（THz）测量解决方案在2021年3月出版的Journal of Blow Molding，一种专注于形成和连接中空塑料部件的制造工艺的出版物，例如用于形成瓶子或其他中空形状和容器的塑料部件。
过程控制是生产高质量产品的关键。太赫兹传感器是一种相对较新的技术，可以提供超快速、准确和高精度的测量多层吹塑制品的厚度。太赫兹的能力，以衡量广泛的材料，包括那些不透明的紫外线，可见光和红外光，提供了一个独特的控制能力。太赫兹在吹塑产品开发、制造和质量控制过程中的广泛应用使太赫兹壁厚测量成为一项非常有用的技术。188金宝慱官网188金宝慱欢迎你
How does a THz measurement system work?
THz sensors emit a very narrow pulse of completely safe energy. This pulse travels through air to the sample and generates reflections of the pulse at every interface between two materials (including air and the sample's outer surfaces). If the sample is multilayer, interior layers will also create reflections, which provide a measurement of the interior layers. The THz system measures the time between the two reflections off the top and bottom of a layer and uses this value to calculate layer thickness. Thickness measurements are highly precise (typically less than plus or minus 0.1 mil or 2.5 microns for in-line measurement rates) and extremely repeatable. The systems have high resolution (less than 0.04 mil or 1 micron) and can be used in many challenging environmental conditions.
What comprises a THz system?
A THz system consists of a control unit, a flexible umbilical cable (up to about 147 feet long) and a sensor. Single-sensor and dual-sensor control units are available. The umbilical cable allows the sensor to be freely positioned for alignment with the object being examined.
Applications for THz technologies
已经使用太赫兹系统验证的应用包括测量吹塑燃料箱和瓶子。
Fuel Tanks
在图1中，可以看到一个太赫兹传感器在机器人手臂的末端，用于测量汽车油箱的阻挡层。机器人在一小时内测量了坦克上的七个位置88次。在此期间，工厂的环境温度从华氏70度上升到105度。多个点的总厚度从5mm到8mm不等，平均值为6.29mm，重复测量的平均标准偏差为0.0007mm。还测量了各层厚度，平均标准偏差为0.0016mm。188金宝慱官网
型坯和瓶
Another use is measuring the thickness of a multilayer parison just before it is clamped in the mold. Such information can be used to assist development and manufacturing, and to measure the phasing of the extrusion process to get better control and distribution of the wall thickness throughout the object. This will lead to faster development and startup, more consistent wall-thickness distribution and efficient use of material and energy.
Luna的太赫兹计和传感器已经成功地测量了乙烯-乙烯醇、尼龙和炭黑的阻挡层。在一个例子中，当阻隔层瓶子在传送带上移动了近4个小时后，系统进行了多达4次不同的测量。安装在传送带前面的一种传感器，用于在线测量点。这种类型的实时数据可以提供即时反馈，以快速识别和纠正制造问题。
In one case, over a measurement run of 86 hours, the barrier layer was measured with a standard deviation of plus or minus 1.5 microns, demonstrating the stability and high precision of the measurement, giving bottle manufacturers more control.
Luna’s non-contact terahertz sensors have demonstrated the ability to measure wall thickness of nearly all blow molded products, including multilayer products, at very high rates with high accuracy and precision, at many locations in the blow molding process. From the extruded parison or preform to the molded fuel tank or bottle, THz sensors can provide a high-precision measurement of multiple layers, regardless of color or material.
要阅读太赫兹业务开发总监Irl Duling博士和Luna Innovations Inc.高级研究科学家Jeffrey White博士的整篇文章，请访问March 2021 issue属于吹塑杂志.
See the full suite of Luna Terahertz solutions for process control and non-destructive test (NDT)在这里太赫兹呢188金宝慱欢迎你for gauging and imaging在这里.