ASCONA and D-CUBE partnership focuses on inline surface inspection of aluminium profiles

Through their collaboration, ASCONA and D-CUBE are transforming the aluminium industry with an innovative approach to inline surface inspection of aluminium profiles. Their joint efforts have led to the development of Promex Cyrus, a cutting-edge product that employs AI technology to benefit leading aluminium extrusion plants in Europe.

This strategic partnership exemplifies the power of teamwork and demonstrates the potential for global impact in aluminium profile inspection.

Promex Cyrus, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), can identify various types of surface anomaly live, whatever the shape, number or size of the extruded aluminium profile might be. The inspection can be done in singularity or series, and Cyrus sends a warning message for the operators to rectify their positions.

The CEO of ASCONA, Alexander Daniker, narrated: “We are very pleased to add this great product to our existing portfolio. Our collaboration with D-cube enables the aluminium industry to benefit from comprehensive dimensional and surface quality improvement by a single supplier and reliable partner.”

The CEO of D-cube, Dimitris Katsikas, stated: “It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with ASCONA and seize the opportunity to radically change the future of the aluminium industry.”

The latest system has been designed to provide manufacturers with a comprehensive solution for all their needs, from inspection to optimization. This innovative system offers a range of benefits, such as real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and automated quality control. By utilizing these features, businesses can achieve greater efficiency and accuracy, ultimately leading to improved overall performance and profitability.

Poor surface quality control can have hidden costs, which can be avoided by implementing effective quality control measures. By prioritizing quality control, businesses can reduce the risk of defects, waste, and rework, ultimately leading to improved profitability and customer satisfaction.

The Extrusion Process Manager from Hydro Nenzing, Dr Raphael Mertens, illustrated the product’s usability: “The reliable detection of surface defects inline, shortly after the profile contour was formed in the tool, was already a vision many years ago to improve the surface quality and reduce rejects. Promex CYRUS has made this possible and is a step into a new decade for the world of aluminium extrusion. For continuous improvement, we need verifiable answers that include not only dimensions and mechanical properties but also surface quality from order to order. We are now able to compare the impact of different press parameters and tool designs to maximize surface quality and minimize scrap associated with surface quality.”

“In addition to this continuous improvement potential, Promex CYRUS also offers us an intelligent alarm system that immediately warns the press operator of quality losses such as cracks, bubbles or pick-ups. In this way, decisions are made more quickly in the press. By using a camera below the initial table, our press operators are informed in one second about any error that they can hardly detect with their eyes due to the difficult position to see. We are very satisfied with the detection quality of Promex CYRUS and would not want to do without this system anymore,” he concluded.