Inline color measurement during extrusion

In the production of solid to viscous masses such as gelatin, syrup and plastic, the mass is continuously compressed under pressure in extruders and extruded as a strand. During this process, the material must not heat up too much, otherwise it will burn. This results in undesirable coloration, which is why the color sensors from Micro-Epsilon maximize the quality of the products in this process through precise color measurement.

When extruding solid to viscous masses, the materials must not be allowed to heat up too much. This would lead to burning and therefore undesirable coloration. The precise colorSENSOR CFO sensors measure the color of the materials directly in the extruder. In the case of transparent materials such as gelatin, the measurement is carried out in transmission, while opaque materials such as plastic are measured using the reflection method. One or two special sensors CFS4-T150-P200 are installed directly in the extruder with either a transmission sensor CFS3-S-T250 or a reflection sensor CFS4-S-T250. The measurement takes place on the inside wall of the extruder, at up to 200 bar pressure and up to 250 °C. The results are then used for process control.

Advantages:

• Sensors directly in the extruder with a ½"-20UNF fit
• M12 Pressure-resistant up to 200 bar and temperature-resistant up to 250 °C
• High repeatability: ΔE < 0.5