Miller Magazine Issue: 131 November 2020

74 ARTICLE MILLER / November 2020 “As technologists we endeavor to make our customers more profitable and maintain a high product quality. So, the service soon developed into something more exci- ting,” says Ritchie. In 2019, he visited 240 milling plants in the US alone to better understand customers’ needs. Ten years on from its launch and with more than 90 rollDetect units in service worldwide, Bühler provides the tools, expertise and expe- rience to precisely determine the right moment for a refit. TRULY CUTTING EDGE – THE ROLLDETECT SERVICE PACKAGE The success of rollDetect rests on the unique precisi- on of the rollDetect device in conjunction with analyti- cal software – available in 8 languages (English, German, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Vietnamese and Russian) – and the expertise of Bühler’s experienced pro- cess engineers, who carry out the measurements and in- terpret the data on-site at the customer’s plant, whether it is a flour mill, a feed mill or a brewing machine. “Our deep understanding of market conditions and the specific needs of individual plants, combined with our technological expertise, together form the rollDetect service package, providing the best analysis and detailed plans of action,” says Inauen. “Over the past ten years we have been able to demonstrate that customer benefit significantly increases with the number of measurements a Bühler consultant has performed.” This is the main reason why rollDetect is offered as a service package rather than sold as a hardware and software bundle. It is also important to consider that measurement technologies continue to evolve at a rapid pace. The rollDetect service package allows customers to benefit from the latest technological developments in this area. “At Bühler we continuously upgrade the tech- nical components of the measuring device,” says Ritchie. THE ROLLDETECT MEASURING DEVICE The innovative device is fitted with a precision contour red tracer stylus for fluted rollers or, for smooth rollers, a roughness blue tracer stylus equipped with a fine dia- mond tip. “We can actually assess all rollers at a plant. That provides us with the full picture rather than frag- mentary piecemeal information,” says Inauen. In additi- on, it features a positioner, the measuring system and a signal converter which is connected to a PC. The system is bundled with specifically designed software, develo- ped and continuously optimized by Bühler for accurate analysis and wear prediction. The rollDetect measuring device is portable and quickly installed by Bühler’s pro- cess engineers. The entire measuring procedure can be undertaken with minimal interruption to the operation. REPORTS – ANSWERING THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS Are the rollers in working order and what is the abso- lute wear on the rollers? Comprehensive reports contai- ning conclusive data and graphical representations equip operators with the information they need for objective decision making. “It’s a holistic approach, taking the en- tire process a step further,” says Ritchie. “The rollDetect software provides information on critical business figures and helps determine the best course of action.” There are four types of report: • tecReport for fluted and smooth rollers, available in field mode • ecoReport for fluted rollers, available in field mode • rollReport Summary, available in field mode • rollReport for reconditioned fluted rollers, available in workshop mode tecReports for fluted and smooth rollers Generated on-site, the tecReport features detailed graphic representations of actual and target corrugati- on profiles. For smooth rollers, a graph displays rough- ness measurements. Roughness values are presented in Ra (average roughness) adhering to DIN EN ISO 4287. A user-friendly traffic light system instantly answers the Figure 2: The rollDetect measuring device: Designed for precision measurement