Agr’s new “T” series laboratory Profiler Gauges (PG9800T and PG9810T) are the latest generation of measurement devices that offer an alternative to the practice of section weight cutting for monitoring material distribution during the production of PET bottles.

Designed for use on the plant floor, or in the laboratory, these simple-to-use devices provide operators with a wealth of information that is not available through traditional bottle cutting and analysis methods. Unlike methods that involve bottle cutting, the Profiler Gauges are safe, fast and economical to operate. Measurements are performed in a less than 10 seconds without destroying the bottle and creating the associated waste or environmental implications.

The Profiler Gauges utilize Agr infrared measurement technology to scan the sidewall of the bottle, producing a visual representation of wall thickness, material distribution and bottle height. Graphs representing current measurements are superimposed over a graph of a baseline bottle, making it simple for an operator to compare ongoing production samples and instantly identify shifts in distribution. Unlike section-weight measurements, information can be captured and saved to a data base for future reference or exported for use in plant-wide process management systems.
The “T” series laboratory Profiler Gauges are available in two versions: • PG9800T – for mono-layer containers, this device provides operators with the ability to perform vertical scans in up to eight sectors around the container and horizontal scans at multiple height locations.
• PG9810T -- for multi-layer bottles and preforms, offers the same capabilities as the PG9800 but also provides the ability to identify the presence and/or the thickness of barrier materials on multi-layer containers.
Features available on the PG9800T and PG9810T include:
• An LCD touch-panel operator interface and system display that provides simple, touch based operation for all measurement, testing and reporting functions • An all-new main system processor and operating system that features the latest industrial computer technology • Additional USB ports for job backup, data connectivity and printer interface • Graphic or numerical display of test data • Integrated section average calculations • Auto-learn mode for easy setup • Rotary table for positioning of test samples
The PG9800T and PG9810T Profiler Gauges are part of a broad line of process monitoring and measurement products AGR provides to the PET container Industry. These gauges utilize the same measurement technology as Agr’s PETWall Profiler® in-the-blowmolder material distribution management system that is used in plants world-wide as a critical tool for light weighting efforts and as a basis for automated blowmolder process and quality management.
For more information, visit www.agrintl.com