Air Bearing Shapemeter: Flatness Measurement for Aluminium Rolling

The Air Bearing Shapemeter (ABSM) is designed to provide accurate shape measurement of rolled steel or aluminum sheet and foil material. The increasing demand for high-quality rolled products places a growing requirement for exceptional flatness in products. Flatness errors lead to non-uniform tension distribution across the material width, resulting in waviness and buckles in the finished product. The Air Bearing Shapemeter (ABSM) is specifically tailored to suit any cold and foil mill, including heavy-duty applications.

By ensuring accurate flatness measurement, the Air Bearing Shapemeter (ABSM) helps maintain uniform tension distribution across the material width. Available in a range of roll diameters, the ABSM ensures compatibility with various mill setups. Its high-resolution measurement capabilities, with rotor widths ranging from 25 mm to 120 mm, cater to specific resolution requirements for any aluminum rolling mill. The low-inertia design, with negligible friction, eliminates the need for an external drive, thereby enhancing operational efficiency. Additionally, bearing exhaust air prevents the ingress of contaminants, maintaining measurement integrity. The continuous signal output minimizes control delays, providing real-time data for immediate adjustments. Its compact installation envelope allows easy integration into existing mill setups.

The ABSM operates on a principle where an array of jets supplies each rotor with air from a typical chamber in the center of the arbor. The differential pressure measured between the top and bottom of each rotor is proportional to the load applied, allowing for the calculation of tension at each rotor position across the width of the strip, which in turn is proportional to the strip flatness. Each differential pressure output is measured by a high-integrity pneumatic transducer, ensuring high accuracy at all rolling loads.

Indispensable for quality control managers, production line managers, and maintenance engineers in cold and foil mills, the Air Bearing Shapemeter ensures accurate flatness measurement, supporting efficient and high-quality production while minimizing downtime. Its integration with other Primetals Technologies products, such as the Integral Solenoid Valve (ISV) Spray System and Mill Flatness Control Systems, further enhances its effectiveness.