New flatness gauge developed

New equipment to measure the flatness of rolled, flat products has been developed by Swerim. This new equipment is portable, which simplifies measuring compared to a conventional flatness gauge. 

A surface that is completely flat is not warped or dented in any way. Flatness is a critical quality requirement as unevenness can cause spillage and unnecessary costs. 

No one wants a warped product

A flatness gauge is used in the manufacture of sheet metal and rolled steel, materials used in e.g. coachwork and sinks. These products must satisfy the requirements of buyers and customers. No one wants to buy a warped sink!

Flatness is normally measured with fixed equipment. Swerim has now developed Mefplan, a portable flatness gauge which simplifies measuring. 

Mobile and adjustable

Owing to its mobility, it is easy to set up and use, and can be set up at different parts of the production line, like in areas inaccessible to regular stationary gauges. Flatness can even be measured before and after a specific production stage. The equipment also contains software that can be programmed to customer needs.

Mefplan utilises laser triangulation, where a laser measures the distance to the sheet metal surface and maps a contour line by means of trigonometric calculations.