Surface Inspection

SURCON GmbH is a joint venture between SMS Siemag AG in Hilchenbach and Düsseldorf and IMS Messsysteme GmbH in Heiligenhaus.

Established in 2009, the company combines the know-how of the two partners in the fields of casting and rolling technology as well as measurement technology for flat products.

Surface defects arising during continuous casting are often perpetuated through the complete process chain for the production of strip and heavy plate. Non-stop surface inspection from continuous casting to finished coil or heavy plate is therefore critical for the quality of the final product.
 
As a manufacturer of surface inspection systems, surcon supplies both 3D systems for high-resolution capture of topographical data for slab inspection as well as 2D systems for hot and cold rolling applications.
 
With its combined 3D and 2D surface inspection solution for slabs also directly after casting, surcon has now closed one of the last gaps in optical surface inspection in the steel industry.
 
Benefits of X-3Dvision:
 
  • It detects surface defects and enables direct optimisation of the continuous casting process.
  • Combined with our X-2Dvision systems for the inspection of hot and cold strip, it is possible to track surface defects along the complete process chain.
  • By linking the surface data with other measured data, for example geometry or material data, it is also possible to identify and eliminate sources of error whose causes lie further to the front of the process – an important step in the quality management from continuous casting to finished coil or heavy plate products.
The X-3Dvision system detects and classifies surface defects such as cracks, inclusion or impressions. Apart from the extent of the surface defects, it also determines their depth.
 
The system works in real time and delivers the information on the slab surface immediately. Countermeasures can be taken directly during production, thereby enabling ongoing optimisation of the continuous caster.
 
The results of the surface inspection can be used, for example, to optimise plant parameters or the adding of casting powder.
 
The subsequent process steps also benefit: since the severity and position of the surface defects are known, the surface inspection system minimises the work for grinding and scarfing.
 
If the surface data are linked to the geometry values of the slabs, the continuous caster delivers perfectly documented products. For instance, the slabs do not need to be weighed and the risk of mix-ups is minimised.
 
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