June 2, 2010 – Honeywell introduced Precision FotoSurf, a surface topography sensor that helps paper and board makers improve product quality while reducing waste and lowering production costs. The sensor is ideal for manufacturing all printing paper and board grades, where product surface characteristics are important, minimizing the need for manual monitoring by mill personnel. Precision FotoSurf’s 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 smoothness/roughness profiles which can cause a range of imperfections in paper and board products – and in turn cause printability problems.
The sensor allows mill personnel to electronically monitor web surface characteristics throughout the entire production process, facilitating immediate corrective action if a product deviates from standards. This increases the yield as less paper/board is rejected, and it also increases paper makers’ customer satisfaction as they experience fewer problems with printability.Supporting speeds up to 2,000 m/min., Precision FotoSurf uses a built-in image control unit to manage both camera and illumination parameters. In addition to providing numeric values for surface smoothness and roughness, the sensor displays images of the product surface to determine the root cause of the problem so that corrective action can be taken.
“Precision FotoSurf saves paper and board makers time and money, and boosts their competitiveness,” said Marko Jamsen, Honeywell’s EMEA business leader for pulp, paper, printing and CWS. “The solution maximizes productivity by reducing the need for laboratory analysis of smoothness/roughness profiles, minimizes time needed for corrective action when flaws are detected, and 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.