Securely Transporting Thin Ceramic Foils with Vacuum Power
Task
Gently transporting ultra-thin ceramic foils
Ceramic is not just used to make vases, dental implants and basins. This versatile material can also be used, for instance, to make foils that efficiently divert heat in electronic components, while providing effective temperature resistance, chemical stability and electrical insulation at the same time. However, handling such foils can be a real challenge, particularly in automated production environments.
This brittle material is sensitive to mechanical strain and pressure concentrated on specific points, which can cause rips and breaks. That is especially true of variants that are just ten micrometres thick, which is ten times thinner than a sheet of paper. Automation systems quickly reach their technical limits in terms of product handling in such circumstances, risking a high level of waste. This issue made one manufacturing company's search for a conveyor system a long one. Its solution needed to gently transport sensitive ceramic foils that had just been cut, while also allowing them to be cleaned with brushes from both sides.
The company finally found what it was looking for with mk, whose experts developed a custom conveyor system to meet these specific requirements.
Solution from mk
Belt conveyor with vacuum function
The key element of the solution is the sophisticated interplay between two belt conveyors with a vacuum function from the GUF-P 2000 series, which allows the foils to be cleaned from both sides.
This is how the system works: Once cut, the ceramic foils reach the first belt conveyor, which is around 1.3 m long. Here, they are fixed in place with suction applied through the perforated surface of the belt. They are then guided under a brush that removes dirt. One aspect to note at this point is that mk began the project by testing the system with different perforation patterns and vacuum power levels to make it as flexible as possible, so it can be used with the customer's many different foil formats.
Once it is cleaned from above, the foil is transferred to the second belt conveyor, which is positioned at a slight offset above the first conveyor. This conveyor also has a vacuum function, which allows it to lift the ceramic foil up from the first belt. The foil is now suspended and transported on to be cleaned from below.
Once the foils have been cleaned on both sides, they finally fall into a small load carrier at the end of the second conveyor, where they are stacked. When the container is full, a two-line ZRF-P 2010 timing belt conveyor automatically transports it away.
Benefits for the customer
- High level of product safety and less waste: Belt conveyor with vacuum function transports goods as gently as possible
- Tailored configuration for maximum flexibility: perforation patterns and other parameters individually adapted to the customer's requirements
- Guaranteed interoperability: Belt conveyor and timing belt conveyor from mk can be integrated into multi-plant systems
