September 30, 2009 - Honeywell released Precision FotoFiber, a fiber orientation-angle sensor that helps paper and board makers improve overall product quality while reducing waste and lowering production costs. The sensor – ideal for manufacturing large product runs of newsprint, fine paper, containerboard, and folding boxboard – minimizes the need for manual monitoring by mill personnel.
Its camera and powerful illumination technology automatically adjusts to varying machine speeds and sheet surface characteristics to capture high-quality sheet surface images.This automated approach helps reduce variations in web fiber orientation profiles, which can cause a range of imperfections in paper and board products such as stack-lean or paper jams in sheet-fed devices, misregister in color printing, twist in multilayer board, and weakened corrugated containerboard. The sensor allows mill personnel to electronically monitor fiber orientation throughout the entire production process, alerting supervisors immediately if a product deviates from standards.
Supporting speeds up to 2,000 m/min., Precision FotoFiber uses a built-in image control unit to manage both camera and illumination pulse intensity and length. The full distribution of fiber angles is computed from each image, so that both the average fiber angle and the surface anisotropy are measured. “Precision FotoFiber represents a breakthrough in high-speed image analysis in the paper and board industry because it saves paper and board makers both time and money,” said Andrew Hird, Honeywell’s global director for pulp, paper, printing and CWS.
“It maximizes staff productivity by reducing the need for laboratory analysis of fiber orientation profiles, it minimizes time needed for corrective action when flaws are detected, and it ultimately results in higher-quality products with less waste. It provides an entirely new method for diagnosing process problems.”Honeywell International is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials.
Based in Morris Township, N.J., Honeywell’s shares are traded on the New York, London, and Chicago Stock Exchanges. Honeywell Process Solutions is part of Honeywell’s Automation and Control Solutions group, a global leader in providing product and service solutions that improve efficiency and profitability, support regulatory compliance, and maintain safe, comfortable environments in homes, buildings and industry.