Film Quality Analyzer: Optical in-line analysis
Intended use
The Film Quality Analyzer measures the transparency and optically checks the quality of blown or flat films on a laboratory or production scale.
The Film Quality Analyzer measures the transparency and optically checks the quality of blown or flat films on a laboratory or production scale.
The Film Quality Analyzer measures the transparency and optically checks the quality of blown or flat films on a laboratory or production scale. The instrument detects in-line and differentiates between
These faults are classified acc. to their type and allocated to size classes. The film is assessed on the basis of the number of faults and their size distribution.
Evaluation is done automatically through a comfortable Windows® 9x or NT software. All data are stored in a database and can be imported by commercial programs.
Optionally, the system can be equipped with a film marking unit for marking the faults with a time stamp. The Film Quality Analyzer can easily be installed in production or simulation lines (blown and flat film) and is suited for networking.
The instrument detects in-line, without blanks, inhomogeneities like gels, fisheyes, black specks, agglomerates, etc. in transparent and pigmented films. These inhomogeneities are classified according to their type and size into up to 9 size classes for each type.
Even strongly pigmented films with transparencies going down to 2 % can be checked by means of adaptive transparency and grey level evaluation. This enables quantitative in-line quality assessment on masterbatches by sizing and classification of agglomerates and pigment particles.
The resolution depends on the ratio of the number of camera pixels to the filmwidth as well as on the camera system configuration, the line scan frequency of the camera, and the take-off speed.
The standard FQA-PCI system allows for a resolution of 20 μm with a film width of 80 mm and a take-off speed of 20 m/min.
The image data are continuously sent to the PC, evaluated, and saved in a database.
A comfortable software package running under Windows® 2000, NT or XP offers manifold features like definition of size classes, definition of film notes, statistical evaluations, and many more.
Each type of inhomogeneity has its own transparency characteristics. Obviously, a black speck shows another transparency value than a gel or fisheye. These differences in transparency are used to define typical grey levels for each type of inhomogeneity. The camera system recognizes the difference between the grey value level of the undisturbed film and that of inhomogeneities.
The evaluation software defines the type of a fault on the basis of its grey value, measures its height and width, calculates the area and a circle diameter corresponding to this area, and allocates it to the corresponding size class.
The pictures are marked automatically with colored rectangles corresponding to the different types of faults.
All these data as well as the time when the inhomogeneity occurred are saved in a database for further evaluation or transfer to Windows® Office applications.
Different displays can be chosen:
| CCD Line Scan Camera | Scan Width: 80mm Scan frequency: 30 kHz |
| Light source: | High intensity LED-line light |
| Resolution (dep. on film width and take-off speed) | Resolution: 20 μm Film width: 80 mm Take-off speed: 30 m/min |
| Industrial PC | High Performance Configuration, integrated framegrabber card, 15" Touchscreen Monitor |
