Inline monitoring of material properties and product shape in roll forming

Roll-forming processes generally require limited actions by the operator if the incoming material remains stable. If the material parameters change between coils the part shape can change. In this case, manual tool adjustments must be made to bring the product quality back to specification. In most roll-forming processes the incoming material parameters are not monitored and this prevents the development of a fundamental understanding of the causes of the forming defects. This project aims to develop an inline routine that combines continuous material testing with part shape monitoring to enable establishing the link between material change and product quality. For that, the front end of the roll former is equipped with a relocatable material tester to continuously monitor material parameters. At the end of the roll former, a shape scanner records the outcoming part quality continuously. The tool adjustment is limited to changing the tool gap in the last two roll stations. By combining the data collected a predictive tool can be developed that informs the operator of the tool adjustments needed to maintain the product within quality specifications. The study provides some understanding of the potential and technical challenges of the solution when implemented in an industrial environment.