In addition to our recycling machines and filament production, we at QiTech also develop customized automation software for industrial customers. The Gluetex project was our very first automation project outside of our own machines—and thus an important milestone for us.
The task: Control system for special adhesive tapes
It all started on November 20, November . The order included the hardware integration of heating elements and precision cutting units for a production line for special adhesive tapes. To this end, we developed completely new control software that connects our winder with the customer's hardware.
The very next day, we worked with Gluetex to plan the user interface live in a video call on a Miro board. Our standard elements were adapted to the customer's requirements—a layout tailored precisely to Gluetex's way of working. On November 22, we November a dummy "testing" line on site: with SSR relays, steppers, and real temperature sensors, we were able to check the interaction between software and electronics right from the start.
Debugging, testing, and honest learnings
At Gluetex's request, we integrated a quality control element into the dashboard. There, bars display live whether production values such as temperature are within the defined min/max range. While testing the sensors and PID controllers, we encountered disruptive factors such as signal noise and cabling errors. The electrical system in particular caused us major problems at the beginning. As our first automation project outside of QiTech , not everything QiTech perfectly—but we are confident that future projects will be much easier.
On November 28, November our first full version: a central dashboard that bundles the control of all heaters, motors, and quality control. This meant that the software was ready for use on the final Gluetex hardware. From the first sketch to the finished control system in just eight days—including all hurdles and solutions.
We have documented the entire development process with all technical details transparently on our Gluetex reference project page. If you want behind-the-scenes insights, you can find them on our QiTech YouTube channel.
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