Automated Web Inspection Insures Highest Quality Nonwovens, 1995 Nonwovens Conference Proceedings

Jim Graf

Dexter Nonwovens

Tim Enright

Isys Controls

Sanford Shapiro

Honeywell Inc.

Precise on-line inspection of a nonwoven web’s surface during production has proven to be a valuable tool for quality assurance. Dexter Nonwovens is a primary manufacturer of specialty nonwovens products for the automotive, medical, personal care and food packaging markets, such as filters, medical clothing and drapery, wet wipes and tea bags. Physical appearance of these products is extremely important. They must be clean with absolutely no impurities. In order to insure this quality, Dexter has installed an optical web inspection system manufactured by Isys Controls. The inspection system has the ability to continuously monitor 100% of the web, detect any defects, record the exact location of each, and record an image of the defect for viewing at any time. The operator is able to take immediate corrective action as appropriate. The location in the roll is also recorded to facilitate removal during rewind. Surface inspection has often been problematic because of difficulty differentiating unacceptable defects from acceptable anomalies, such as formation or intentional watermark. The system which was installed succeeds because thru high resolution optics and a unique classification technique, it does make the differention. The inspection system has greatly contributed to the quality assurance at Dexter Nonwovens. This success has been achieved through integration of the latest optical and digital technologies, and through proprietary approaches to defect classification.