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Measuring thickness and density inline – saving raw materials, ensuring quality

GreCon FOAMCONTROL

With GreCon FOAMCONTROL, you can measure the thickness, weight per unit area and density of your foam and plastic materials directly during the production process – whether in web or board form. This enables you to reduce safety allowances, use raw materials more efficiently and ensure consistent product quality. Measurements are taken continuously and non-contact – without ionising radiation.

Your benefits with GreCon FOAMCONTROL

  • Inline monitoring of thickness, weight per unit area and density
  • Detect material deviations and inhomogeneities at an early stage
  • Reduce safety margins and use raw materials more efficiently
  • Non-contact measurement with no impact on the material or production process
  • No statutory radiation protection or costly shielding required

A subsystem for thickness, weight per unit area and density

Thickness, weight per unit area and density are among the key parameters in foam and plastics production. They influence quality, material usage and the properties of the finished product.

FOAMCONTROL feeds this information directly into the production line. The system continuously measures material thickness and weight per unit area. Density is calculated from these two measurement values.

This provides an up-to-date picture of the material being produced during the manufacturing process – rather than an assessment based on individual samples. Deviations become apparent whilst there is still time to take action.

FOAMCONTROL measuring frame, positioned above the conveyor system
GreCon FOAMCONTROL in inline operation on the conveyor: thickness, weight per unit area and density are measured continuously and non-contact.
Foam with blue lines running through it
What the eye cannot see: radar waves penetrate the material and reveal irregularities in the core.

Inline measurement rather than sampling

The surface alone does not indicate whether material usage, density distribution and product quality are within the desired limits. Changes in the raw material or in the production process can affect the weight, compressive strength and other properties of the end product.

FOAMCONTROL inspects the material continuously and non-contact. This also reveals inhomogeneities such as voids or density variations, which cannot be reliably detected by a purely external inspection.

For production, this means that anomalies are not only detected once the finished product is ready or during a subsequent quality inspection. Continuous measurement provides the basis for reacting sooner and maintaining consistent product quality.

Non-contact density measurement without ionising radiation

FOAMCONTROL operates non-contact. The material does not need to be stopped or removed for measurement. The sensor system can be integrated directly into the production line.

As the material passes the measuring position, its thickness and weight per unit area are continuously recorded. FOAMCONTROL calculates the density from these two measurement values. This provides three immediately usable material parameters directly within the ongoing process.

Unlike measurement methods using ionising radiation, FOAMCONTROL requires no statutory radiation protection and no corresponding shielding measures. This simplifies integration into production and reduces the effort involved in operating the measurement system.

FOAMCONTROL is suitable for the continuous monitoring of foam and plastic materials in web or sheet form. Typical applications include extruded foams, chemically produced foams and block foam. Depending on the product, material, line configuration and measurement task, the system can be configured with multiple measuring tracks.

Temperature fluctuations, dust and deposits are part and parcel of everyday industrial operations. FOAMCONTROL therefore uses a reference unit that continuously monitors ambient conditions and corrects the measurement accordingly.

This ensures that the in-line measurement remains stable even under changing production conditions. As the sensors operate in a non-contact mode, there is no mechanical contact with the material. This protects sensitive surfaces and reduces the maintenance required for the subsystem.

A measurement value is only useful if it can be understood quickly. FOAMCONTROL’s visualisation displays current measurement values, trends and deviations directly within the production process. This enables operators to identify changes at an earlier stage, adjust settings more precisely and assess recipe changes more quickly. The measurement data can be exported for analysis, Quality Assurance and documentation.

Communication protocols (such as OPC UA) are available for integration with higher-level systems.

Production lines vary – and so do the positions where a measurement value is most useful. FOAMCONTROL can be configured with multiple measuring tracks. The sensors can be positioned according to the measurement task and the line layout.

Typical installation positions:

  • behind the extruder or in the calibration zone
  • after the cooling zone
  • behind the foaming zone
  • after a cutting unit
  • at defined measuring points to monitor width or thickness
  • before and after the steam tunnel

The compact sensor technology facilitates both integration into new production lines and the retrofitting of existing systems.

Ready for continuous material inspection?

Are you planning a new line or looking to expand your existing measurement systems? Our measurement technology experts will work with you to identify where FOAMCONTROL will deliver the greatest benefit in your production process.

Get in touch!

Key technical specifications

Measured variables:

Thickness, weight per unit area, density

Measuring principle:Non-contact, penetrating radar technology
Resolution:Thickness: 0.01 mm
Density: 0.01 kg/m³
Measurement spot:Standard 30 mm (configurable for special applications)
Sensor arrangement:Vertical or horizontal penetration of the material, arranged in tracks or traversing
Data interface:OPC UA

Checking quality rather than relying on spot checks

Manual checks only ever reveal a small part of the production process. What happens between two samples remains hidden.

FOAMCONTROL, on the other hand, provides continuous information on thickness, weight per unit area and density. Changes become immediately apparent and can be linked to the ongoing production process.

This creates a reliable basis for reducing safety margins, using raw materials more efficiently and ensuring reproducible product quality. At the same time, the workload associated with manual checks is reduced.

FOAMCONTROL sensors on measurement traverse
FOAMCONTROL sensors continuously capture measurement data during production, providing the basis for reliable monitoring of thickness, weight per unit area and density.

FAQ about GreCon FOAMCONTROL

FOAMCONTROL measures the thickness, weight per unit area and density of foam and plastic materials directly during the production process.

Continuous measurement provides a reliable data basis for reducing safety margins and using materials more efficiently – without compromising the quality of the end product.

No. FOAMCONTROL measures non-contact and without ionising radiation. This means that no statutory radiation protection measures or costly shielding measures are required.

FOAMCONTROL is suitable for foam and plastic materials in sheet or slab form, such as extruded foams, chemically produced foams and block foam.

Do you know the density of your material – whilst you’re producing it?

FOAMCONTROL measures thickness, weight per unit area and density directly during the production process. This makes material variations visible before they lead to unnecessary material usage or fluctuations in quality.

Talk to our measurement technology experts about your application and the best way to integrate FOAMCONTROL into your production line.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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