Intelligent temperature controller Diecontrol APC Pro

multi-channelprogrammableautomation

Short description
The DieControl APC Pro automatically controls thermal diebolts of extrusion dies according to the measured cross‑profile of the material, enabling uniform thickness across films, sheets or coatings despite feed fluctuations, material changes or start‑up conditions. Closed‑loop control close to setpoint reduces material waste and improves product quality.

Product highlights

• Very short recovery times using optimised feed‑forward control algorithms
• Modular hardware design for simplified maintenance and scalable configurations
• Power‑factor optimisation by varying switching time points
• Advanced functions: predictive Neck‑In Compensation and Edge‑Bead Control

Customer benefits

• Automatic correction of repetitive cross‑direction thickness errors
• Reduced raw material consumption through minimized setpoint deviations
• Improved final product uniformity and quality
• Minimal production losses during batch changes due to rapid automatic control
• Reduced operator intervention by closed‑loop regulation

Principle of operation
Plastic sheets or films are produced by extrusion through a die that determines the final profile. A flexible lip at the die outlet controls local thickness and is adjusted by multiple individual thermo‑bolts. Thermo‑bolts change length with applied temperature, allowing precise, segmented thickness adjustment. The DieControl APC Pro receives continuous cross‑profile data and automatically regulates the thermal die elements to compensate cross‑directional errors.

Area of application
Designed for extrusion dies that regulate coating or film thickness via thermal die elements. Typical applications include cast film extrusion and extrusion coating; the system is also applicable to specialised high‑precision membrane coatings on guided steel bands. The DieControl APC Pro interfaces with Mahlo Qualiscan QMS and similar cross‑profiling sensors via data‑bus links.

Technical specifications

• Automatic control of thermal diebolts for extrusion dies
• Optimised feed‑forward control algorithms for short recovery times
• Modular architecture for maintenance and expandability
• Power‑factor optimisation by adjusting switching timepoints
• Functions: predictive Neck‑In Compensation, Edge‑Bead Control
• Interface: continuous cross‑profile input (e.g., Mahlo Qualiscan QMS) via data‑bus
• Primary applications: cast film extrusion, extrusion coating, high‑precision membrane coating on steel bands
• Benefits: improved thickness uniformity, reduced setpoint errors, material savings, reduced downtime during batch changes
• Main HMI: Diebolt Control APC Pro main software provides continuous monitoring and individual diebolt control