Forward Integration is our new state-of-the-art technology for achieving higher quality and productivity in laminated beam production. First introduced at Ligna, it has beensubjected to thorough testing in an ample customer base. Now we are launchinga completely new release, supporting more input parameters and a flexible ratio.
The result is an intelligent tool that contributes to your bottom line and increases the quality of your finished product.
The problem
For many years, it has been a standard industry practice in laminated beam production to estimate the right glue amount by using data tables with rough values for assembly time and lamella temperatures.
As lamella temperatures often vary between batches throughout the year, either the glue consumption is lower than the optimal level or above it. A non-optimal glue amount has a direct impact on product quality and on the efficiency of laminated beam manufacturers.
Our solution
As an industry leader in providing unique, high performance solutions to laminated beam producers, Casco Adhesives developed the technology to tackle this challenge.
Forward Integration is our new technology for achieving higher productivity and optimal glue consumption in laminated beam production. It is founded on three pillars: innovative research, constant customer feedback, and accurate mathematical models that precisely simulate the curing process.
Innovative research in action
Once more, our business concept of combining deep application know-how, high-performing adhesives, and state-of-the-art machinery proves to be successful.
Casco Adhesives’ R&D department has made thousands of glue-ups to be able to create mathematical models describing the curing process for each of our glue systems. These models were later programmed by Casco Adhesives’ automation lab, generating a fully featured automation platform that controls the ribbon spreader.
What does it mean in practice?
By using the operator’s input for assembly time, adhesive system, and other parameters before the batch starts, Forward Integration determines the most suitable production parameters and uses real-time measurement of lamella temperatures to make real-time adjustments to glue spread.
Forward Integration constantly measures production conditions throughout the whole batch, and it instantly reacts to changes. For example, if a lamella with a higher temperature arrives, the temperature increase is immediately compensated for with a higher glue amount or a shorter assembly time. At the end of the batch, all gluing conditions are analysed and an optimal press time is suggested.
Traceability
Casco Adhesives offers a variety of logging options for storing historical production parameters. Although we recommend Casco Glue Log, our proprietary Windows-based software that logs all data in a Microsoft® SQL Server® database, Forward Integration also supports two way communication via Profibus
Real value added
Forward Integration represents a great improvement in laminated beam production:
• Accurate calculations from accurate data
Calculations based on exact values, which replace traditional tables with intervals.
• Real-time adjustments
Production conditions are measured in real time and gluing parameters are automatically updated.
• Optimized production
Optimization of the production parameters gives potentially higher productivity and less glue consumption.
• Minimize rejects
The risks of delamination are minimized, as glue spread will never fall below the optimal level needed on
each and every lamella.
Safety
Most important, Forward Integration will contribute to a safer production by offering more even safety margins of glue amount and press time. These improvements are due to direct reactions to fluctuations in the production conditions (e.g. varying temperature over day and over year).
Mr Markus Derix, CEO of Poppensieker & Derix GmbH & Co KG, a successful producer of Laminated Beams in Germany where Forward Integration has been installed for more than a year, comments:
” Since we installed Forward Integration, our productivity has increased by 20%. We can also see a big decrease in number of rejects. Before, we guessed the production parameters. Today we know better.”
It is not a new adhesive. It is not a new machine. It is an intelligent tool that contributes to your bottom line and increases the quality of your finished product.
Henrik Riccius
Sara Fäldt