ABB outlines aluminium rolling measurement systems for ALUMINIUM 2026

Measurement across the rolling process

In a 1 October 2026 announcement for ALUMINIUM 2026, scheduled for 6–8 October in Düsseldorf, ABB outlined systems for measuring flatness, strip tension and thickness. The portfolio included its Stressometer Low-Force System and Millmate Thickness Gauge (MTG) Box Gauge.

Source: ABB to spotlight smarter, more efficient aluminium production at ALUMINIUM 2026

Different instruments for different tasks

ABB describes the Low-Force System as a flatness measurement solution for ultra-thin strip and foil. Its separate strip-tension technology is intended to provide process information for stable rolling and consistent quality.

For thickness measurement, ABB identifies the MTG Box Gauge for aluminium strip below 8 millimetres in final hot-rolling stages and cold rolling. The manufacturer says its pulsed eddy-current method measures from one side, works independently of alloy and does not use radiation.

Source: ABB to spotlight smarter, more efficient aluminium production at ALUMINIUM 2026

LANGOM perspective

The announcement gives mill operators a reason to examine where their measurement chain is least effective. A project should begin with the strip range, operating conditions and quality targets, then identify whether the immediate problem concerns flatness, tension or thickness. Those measurements should have distinct acceptance criteria in a procurement specification.

For a retrofit, the review should include available installation space, access for servicing, interfaces to existing controls and how measurement data reach operators. A sensor may produce useful information without that information being incorporated effectively into a control loop or quality record. Integration responsibilities should therefore be assigned alongside the instrument supply.

A controlled trial should use representative alloys and thicknesses, with the existing measurement method retained for comparison where practical. Teams can then evaluate repeatability and operational fit before committing to a wider rollout. The announced exhibition portfolio provides a starting point for that discussion; it does not establish a universal improvement in yield or an independently verified result from the show.

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