BMR LAP-DIGITAL-VISION: AN INCREASINGLY PERFORMING END-OF-LINE

BMR Lap-digital-vision: an increasingly performing end-of-line for sustainable optimisation of production and product

BMR has always pursued the goal of sustainable growth, seeking solutions that can guarantee efficiency in terms of production processes, materials used and energy used. The Scandiano-based company specializing in end-of-line systems has set itself, in particular, some of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations, such as the creation of resilient infrastructures for an industry that has an increasingly less impact and a development model that integrates the concepts of the circular economy. Clear proof comes from the recovery of process waste deriving from the drying, decoration, firing, grinding phases, reused in the preparation of the mixes. It is a production process that BMR has adopted following an experiment conducted together with the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

The new Lap-digital-vision range was created to understand and offer the market all the latest BMR innovations such as this one, i.e. based on attention to saving energy resources and raw materials, guaranteeing maximum respect for the environment and for man. Updates in recent years have all brought sustainability benefits by allowing machines to use less water, consume tools and abrasives more efficiently and use less energy for the same output. All with the implementation of new vision systems, state of the art of what digitization means today. Here are some of the new features of the new range.

The Lap proposal originates from LeviCompact, an exclusive BMR patented solution for lapping, satin finishing and polishing of large slabs with a width of 1200-1600-1800 mm. This is the first solution in the world having two parallel oscillating bridges with 10 heads each which allow for greater speed and greater uniformity compared to traditional solutions. Features that increase productivity by minimizing the possibility of aesthetic defects on the slabs.

Leviga Digital Vision offers even higher performance, in the digital and custom direction. The solution features a new graphical interface for easier reading and better control. Through special proportional valves it is possible to adjust the pressure digitally (and no longer manually). Furthermore, the operator can set three different working bands (operator side, centre and side opposite the operator) to vary the pressure exerted on the material. By setting the desired absorption Set point the system balances the pressure in order to regulate the removal of the ceramic material, thus avoiding waste. The machine has a system that records the change of abrasives: the operator enables the abrasive change and the machine records the hours of work performed. The supervisor can read the register from the PLC and thus check its production and determine the replacement of the tool when it is no longer suitable.

With over 130 machines installed worldwide, SuperShine was the first super dry polishing machine that uses natural silica and a thermo-mechanical process to increase the level of Gloss of the tile coming from the lapping process by 30 degrees or more, also guaranteeing optimal protection of the ceramic surface. SuperShine then evolved into Supershine Digital Vision, with a range of 12, 16 and 20 heads. The new version guarantees the management of one or more products separately thanks to the peristaltic pumps for dosing the product, which have two supply channels. The pumping system with ModBus communication has been replaced with the more performing one equipped with an EtherCat communication channel, which guarantees faster and more precise dosing, thus limiting the dispersion of the material. And thanks to the temperature control, the uniformity of the processing increases, avoiding problems due to sudden changes in temperature.

Installed after Supershine, ShineVision is a machine which uses electronic equipment and a vision system to check the result of the processing on the surface of the finished piece, thus carrying out a quality control of the tile. The machine can consist of a Gloss module (Gloss mapping) and/or a Scratch module, which detects aesthetic defects and imperfections, reducing costs and increasing the percentage of first choice.

LappVision is a solution with a vision system that checks the quality of the processing and the surfaces after the first lapping module, it is made up of two optical units that inspect the edges of the slab in order to highlight the “correct coverage” of the tools when processing the surface.

In summary, the Lap-digital-vision range offers a number of real operational benefits, including:

– increased competitiveness, thanks to higher productivity;

– cost reduction, thanks to the reduction of energy consumed, downtime and waste;

– greater safety: machine vision solutions help create a positive and safe working environment;

– automatic identification and correction of production problems in line with machine vision that is part of the factory control network;

– improvement of sustainable working practices, thanks to the efficiency of the resources used such as water and the consumption of tools and abrasives and the reduction of defects;

– greater innovation: freeing personnel from manual and repetitive activities for higher value work can lead to greater attention to detail in the process, facilitating problem-solving.

The added value of this new BMR asset is the combination of the concepts of vision and industrial automation, which make it possible to recall the finishing parameters directly from the recipe and “correct” them in real time according to needs, maximizing synergies from a plant engineering point of view with the various tool and additive handlers. With this solution, the operator becomes a process technician who, through a series of tools, is able to “pilot” their line in the best possible way and correct the various process variables in real time.

The ability of BMR digital and industrial vision systems aim to process a large amount of information in a fraction of a second, with positive knock-on effects on the entire production process. The rapid throughput capability of such systems is paving the way for new breakthroughs in manufacturing products with negligible defects.

Considering the main axiom of all BMR action in this industrial era: innovation is the main driver of sustainability.