Measuring roll parallelism in a vacuum metallizing chamber using inertial alignment equipment

摘要

The roll assembly should slide into the vacuum chamber completely straight and level; however this is often not the case. Therefore it is necessary to measure the roll assembly parallelism while it is inside the vacuum chamber in running position. As the rolls are enclosed within a vacuum chamber, these measurements are nearly impossible with theodolites, and can be only marginally accomplished with pie tape, bubble level and sticks. Inertial technology was used to measure the roll parallelism of the roll assembly while it was in the running position inside the vacuum chamber. The machine manufacturer used the values obtained to move the rolls parallel to each other. The results of the roll movements were checked with the instrument and the process was repeated until the tolerance was within the manufacturer's specifications. When the vacuum metallizer machine was started for production, it operated smoother than ever before, and with substantially reduced scrap due to minor maladjustments between rolls.