Installation of a Fully Noncontact Stiffness Sensor on Machine to Measure the Stiffness Properties of Paper On-Line, 2007 TAPPI Papermakers and PIMA International Leadership Conference

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A new automated sensor has been developed for use during paper manufacture that can measure flexural rigidity (bending stiffness) and shear rigidity (important for scoring or corrugating,). The objective is to provide sheet property data which can be incorporated into the process control system allowing for reduced fiber usage while maintaining sheet properties. The laser ultrasonic stiffness sensor (LUSS), which is a non-contact technology, provides continuous on-line measurements of flexural rigidity in either the MD or CD at basis weights from 35 to 205 g/m². It has been successfully tested on a pilot coater and on a 20 m/s state of the art copy paper machine and is scheduled to undergo a long term mill trial on a machine which produces a wide range of printing grades. In the planned trial, the sensor will primarily be used to measure flexural rigidity at a single CD position. However, it can be moved to monitor any CD position across the web, thus creating a CD profile. In a future application, a full scanning capability can be implemented.