To ensure the consistent supply of first-class steel strip, the Port Talbot facility of Tata Steel performs regular quality control checks. In accordance with the plant’s quality policy and its pursuit of further efficiencies, a search was recently made for an automated surface finish testing system. The answer arrived in the form of a bespoke machine designed and installed by Mitutoyo Gauging Technology.

Tata Steel Port Talbot section manager metallurgical testing, John Lovegrove, says: “Although our previously used manual surface-finish testing method delivered accurate results, it was extremely laborious and, at times, we struggled to keep pace with the amount of tests required.

“Having decided that we needed to source a highly efficient, automated testing system, we approached three companies with a list of requirements,” he continues. “Not only did the staff of Mitutoyo Gauging Technology quickly understand our needs, they also suggested several other improvements to our wish list that would bring additional benefits. Furthermore, as the project evolved and we realised the potential of the new custom-built tester, we asked for a couple of extra design tweaks that the Mitutoyo staff incorporated.

“Now installed and fully operational, our bespoke Mitutoyo machine performs rapid, very accurate surface finish tests on both sides of our strip samples in a single-pass, slashing our inspection times.”

As surface finish testing is now a fully automated process, after loading a large batch of samples into the machine, the operator concerned is able to perform other duties while the new tester operates unattended.

“In addition to drastically reducing our surface finish testing times, as all relevant inspection data is now downloaded automatically, our new Mitutoyo system has removed the potential for errors when inputting inspection data,” says Lovegrove.

For further information
www.mitutoyo.co.uk