Leading international infrared heating systems specialist and manufacturer Ceramicx has signed off its new product quality control and assurance project, conducted in partnership this year with specialist engineers from the University of Limerick.
Founder and director Frank Wilson believes that his company’s ceramic elements now lead the world – ‘for quality, for product traceability and value for money. Anyone who purchases an element from us is secure in the knowledge that they have also purchased the heat performance metrics for that exact product – and that those product performance metrics are open and available to the customer – online and at any time.’ Ceramicx will be showing the workings of this new QA facility in full on its stand at the K 2010 international plastics exhibition in Dusselfdorf next week. (Hall 11 Stand A01).
And the Ceramicx elements thus produced are currently being reviewed this week as a part of a peer group review of infrared heating elements. The study is being conducted by University of Duisburg Essen in Germany.
‘We are extremely optimistic as to the outcome of this latest Duisburg review – so much so that we are hoping to make the review results part of our sales and marketing strategy at the K 2010 show next week,’ says Wilson. ‘These factors of product reliability and quality are essentials in the infrared heating world,’ adds Wilson. ‘We at Ceramicx intend to consolidate our position of leadership and dependability throughout our world markets.’
The core of the new quality assurance (QA) work centres on developing systems of more closely specified nominal wattage tolerances for the ceramic and quartz electrical elements through the range of Ceramicx products.
The semi automated validation system with closed-loop process-control is now both guaranteeing the product quality – and assigning and recording performance characteristics for each part as it is produced.
Four key validation stages are now part of the new Ceramicx QA system:
The Flash test: This QA test allows the electrical integrity of the insulating materials to be verified and is designed to catch manufacturing defects that could otherwise lead to exposed electrical heating elements and wires.
Nominal tolerance: This QA test will establish the degree to which the actual wattage of a given product deviates from its rated wattage and can assist in reducing large variations.
Load test: For this test, the product is energised with high-voltage electrical power to rapidly elevate its temperature. The measured temperature reached within a given timeframe then allows the functionality of the product to be assessed.
Thermal analysis: After reaching the target temperature, IR images of the product are then recorded in order to provide for a visual inspection of the heating element within. These images are unique for each product tested – are matched to that product’s serial number – and are traceable. These images will also be statistically analysed by the test software to determine the heat distribution across the product – and identify hot or cold spots. And for models with built-in thermocouples, the integrity, operation and placement of these thermocouples will also be validated.
‘We have succeeded in creating a transparent quality and product traceability process here,’ says Wilson, ‘and we are now already setting our sights on other kinds of manufacturing targets and future technical developments.’
Ceramicx and the University of Limerick have been aided by Enterprise Ireland as part of the Innovation partnership program. The work has provided ‘win-win’ outcomes for both organisations. The University has been enabled to take its research and project expertise into the manufacturing and commercial marketplace. Ceramicx has been able to leverage the University’s in-house competencies to research, identify and measure current process variations.
All further details from Frank Wilson, Ceramicx Managing Director.
www.ceramicx.com | Tel. +353 2837510 | Fax + 353 2837509Â |Â frank@ceramicx.com
