Rawlplug’s Microworld. We can even see that which can’t be seen

Two lens types, full spectrum of possibilities

The Keyence microscope that Rawlplug’s engineers now have at their disposal, on top of its precision provided by two interchangeable magnifying lenses (20–200, and the more powerful one – 100–1,000), offers the mobility which is so desirable under the working conditions typical of Rawlplug’s operations. The component which consists of the 20–200 lens and a camera can be disassembled at any time, virtually eliminating all limitations, such as those related to the size of the object being observed.

“This enables very convenient in-house imaging, for example, of larger mould parts or inserts at our Lab, or makes it possible to work directly at our Tool Shop or the injection moulding machines,” Artur Grzesiak adds. “The new microscope will allow us to monitor the injection moulding process and control the wear of moulds in real time, as well as to measure cavity forming and chipping in a precise manner. And that by no means exhausts the wide range of its potential applications.”  

Digital microscope and its applications at Rawlplug?

20-200 LENS

• PURCHASE/INVESTMENT VERIFICATION
  Application example: purchase of high-end 3D printers. Neither a slide calliper (not suitable for workpieces) nor a projector (smeared shadow) make it possible to conduct the measurements required to check if the cavities of printed moulds and the forms produced from the moulds are correct. A high-precision digital microscope can size such cavities, enabling us to verify if the equipment we have invested in is working properly. This provides us with substantive arguments when dealing with external companies and suppliers, and proves particularly helpful under complaint proceedings, since the precision of the results thus obtained supersedes that of conventional observation and measurement equipment, and helps in determining, for instance, how a screw or a bolt has ruptured (fatigue fracture, excessive stress, hydrogen embrittlement, etc.). 
• SUPERVISION OF ONGOING MACHINE OPERATION
  Application example: verification of programmed parameters of and effects delivered by 3D printers. With the right magnifications, we can check, for example, if a fixing sleeve is indeed of the right shape and size, or if a metal sheet whose width should be 0.1 mm is actually of such a width, and – most importantly – whether it is positioned within the set distance from another workpiece. The same applies to injection moulds manufactured by traditional methods using electrical discharge machines (EDM), since without a highly specialised microscope some measurements simply cannot be performed.  
• DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE
  Application example: highly accurate analysis of a mould before it is put into operation, as well as before and after it is mounted on an injection moulding machine. The microscope enables accurate indirect measurements without the risk of falsifying the results due to, for instance, varying shrinkage properties of different plastics. The possibility of conducting measurements on a steel mould allows us to respond on an ongoing basis, if necessary (and saves time in cases where, even before the mould is mounted, it turns out that some corrections are necessary before injection starts).  
• ELECTRONICS AND POWER TOOLS
  Application example: observation of various types of electronic components (track width and length, solder quality control) which we use at Rawlplug in increasing numbers as the power tool segment continues to grow.
• GRAPHICAL DESIGN
  Application example: possibility of video recording of the microscope operation and product imaging at different angles.

100-1,000 LENS

• 3D PRINTING
• Application example: testing roughness, which can affect the mould or the workpiece quality following injection moulding, right after the printing process
• METALOGRAPHY LAB (planned)
  Application example: verifying metals in terms of their internal structure (including grain type: e.g. ferrite, pearlite, or martensite), mechanical strength, or wear resistance. This is extremely important in terms of all the new technologies currently deployed at Rawlplug as well as those that will have been implemented soon enough and will be closely linked with further development of the production of our power tools, which contain many steel components. 

“What we can’t see with the naked eye has great importance, which will only grow over time,” says Artur Grzesiak. “Our high-end and high-precision 100–1,000 lens allows us to make invaluable observations and measurements by looking inside the metal.”  

Rawlplug R&D – investments, new technologies, and competence building 

The R&D Department, including Rawlplug’s Laboratory, has been growing continuously. The purchase of the digital microscope is but one of the many investments aimed at further development of the processes and competences of Rawlplug’s Wrocław-based Headquarters where, in line with the production development strategy, designing and expanding the range of in-house power tools and batteries will grow in importance.