Extrusion International 5-2022

77 Extrusion International 5/2022 MEASURING AND CONTROL TECHNOLOGY to include thin plastic films. It proved to be the right decision, even though, in retrospect, it was a very ambitious and demanding choice. The new KCS division got its first opportunity to solve a plastics indus- try problem during a spontaneous visit to the former Vinora company located in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzer- land. Vinora needed a new width control device for blown film extru - sion lines to replace the unsuitable devices then available from the Mein- ers company. KCS decided this was a challenge they would tackle with the added assistance from a young electrical engineer. The first width control device was sold in 1972, thus establishing KCS’s foundation for the new division, which is celebrating its anniversary today. KCS exhibited for the first time at K 1979 in Dusseldorf. The interest in width controls and now, film thick - ness gauges, was significant. Since KCS did not want to develop and manufacture thickness gauges in- ternally, they made a cooperation agreement with the Winzen com- pany of Minneapolis, Minnesota USA. As time went on, the quality re- quirements of Europe’s film industry began to exceed the capabilities of the sensors procured from the USA. Therefore, the next new challenge was the KCS’s decision to develop their own capacitive thickness gauge. In 1987, the now infamous K-100 film thickness gauge was fully developed and shortly thereafter was sold to all major blown film line manufacturers and end us- ers in Europe and North America. Today, the high quality KCS measure- ment and control devices of older and newer gen- erations have been in use for years on all continents and their functional efficiency is guaran - teed by an efficient customer service department. Since these beginnings, KCS has continued to develop performance improvements in all its products, test- ing new scientific findings and devel - oping new technologies. KCS’s guid- ing principal is to offer the world’s most innovative measuring and con- trol equipment for the production of very thin, high quality plastic films - which reduce raw material usage. Clearly, an investment in equipment from KCS is clearly both an economic and ecological decision. At this year's K show, as a world premiere, KCS presents the 9th gen- eration of width measurement and control. For the first time, the FE-9 width measurement uses a new, in- novative technology for even more precise foil edge detection. Detailed explanations of this technology are available at booth C51 in Hall 10. As with its predecessor, the FE-9 width measurement system consists of two half-beams in three different sizes, which can be connected to each oth- er at different positions. With only a few different modules, this system enables width measurement of film webs between 10 and over 4000 mil- limeters. The CUFE-9 operator console, which is also new, combines 50 years of experience in width control tech - nology with state-of-the-art technol- ogy. If the CUFE-9 is integrated into the company network, the system can be completely controlled remotely via a web browser. In addition, width measuring instruments from the 6th generation introduced in 1985 can be connected to the CUFE-9. The online film thickness gauge K- XRAY Rotomat KT 3G based on X-ray technology, which was introduced at the last K trade show, is now an es- tablished device on the global mar- ket. On several occasions, thickness gauges based on a gamma solid-state radiator have also been replaced by a K-XRAY sensor. As a result, thin foils can be measured much more precise- ly, which, in combination with profile control, leads to decisively tighter cross-profile tolerances. By no means will the 50-year-old KCS now rest on its laurels. The de- velopment pipeline is full to bursting and highly motivated, hard-working employees of the KCS specialist de- partment are doing their best to en- sure that new, high-precision, inno- vative measuring and control devices with the best price-performance ratio will soon be launched on the world market. Finally, KCS would like to send a huge thank you to its worldwide cus- tomers for their good cooperation and their loyal partnership over many years. Without their investments in measuring and control equipment from the KCS, this success story could never have been written. HCH. KÜNDIG & CIE. AG Joweid Zentrum 11, 8630 Rüti ZH, Switzerland www.gauge.ch, sales@gauge.ch K 2022: Hall 10, Stand C51 K-RAY Rotomat: Retrofit package from gamma-ray to X-ray K-RAY Rotomat: Retrofit package from gamma-ray to X-ray