FalconEye – In line surface defect detection of gypsum boards
Wouldn’t it be great to have the eyes of a falcon helping you to detect defects on your material?
With LIMAB, you can! We know all about the challenges and difficulties of the building materials industry and have a long history of supplying it with high-quality cost-efficient solutions.
With the challenges in mind, we have developed FalconEye – a complete stand-alone system dedicated to in-line surface inspection of gypsum boards. We are proud to say that it is the first dedicated on-line surface inspection system for gypsum boards.
The pictures to the right show what the falconeye camera looks like, and how the system computer graphically shows how defects on the surface are being detected.
The FalconEye camera system
Regardless of board thickness The Falcon Eye camera system can detect all types of defects that can occur in the production, but invisible for the eye of the operator, caused by e.g.
- The paper
- Forming plates
- Forming belts
- Conveyor rollers
- Gypsum core
Images are displayed in real time with defects marked out and different quality grades marked with individual colors.
The system will immediately alert when a surface defect appears, both graphically and with output signals. Every board will be consistently graded, and its image stored for archiving purposes. The recipe handling module allows each product to have individual criteria for quality sorting and reject limits.
Supplying the world with The FalconEye system
For over ten years, LIMAB has supplied many market leading wallboard producers all over the world with the FalconEye camera system. The benefits of being able to detect small defects results in reduced costs and saves large amounts of time.
For inquiries or questions about our FalconEye system, you are most welcome to get in touch with us at LIMAB!
Basic Specification
| Thickness range | 6-35mm (0.2-1.4”) |
| Width range | 500-1300 mm (20-60”) |
| Types of defects detected | All known defects like scratches, periodic defects, orange peel, grooves, depressions, finger cookling, paper tension, paper splices, colour spots |
Operating Principle
A powerful LED light source, installed beside the conveyor, illuminates the gypsum boards.Two high speed grayscale cameras pick up the light intensity/contrast changes from the light reflected from board surface. “Peaks” and “valleys” on the surface will give different light reflections. Advanced image processing techniques evaluate and classify the defects and all images are readily displayed on the system computer.
Protected installation
The system is designed to give trouble free operation in the harsh environment below the wet belt. Powerful blower system is supplied that constantly provides the camera enclosures with pressurized filtered air. The air exits from the camera apertures preventing the cameras from contamination from falling dust. Additional protection is provided by means of a mechanical shutter that will automatically close to prevent falling debris contaminating the cameras during production start up and stops. The system computer is safely installed in a full size floor mounted PC cabinet.
Software
Real time view of scanned images, including the last ten, either all images or only the ones exceeding a selectable defect level. Statistical graphs display showing percentage for each quality level. Trend graphs show defects levels, periodic and long defects distribution over time. Recipe handling with up to 8 quality levels, each displayed with an unique color for easy board quality update to operators. Each image also gives corresponding digital quality output signals. Images are stored in compressed format in the system database. The database can later be searched for images with criterias such as date/time/defect levels/number of defects/comments etc. Network TCP/IP is provided to factory line and remote diagnostics.
Periodic and long defects
Periodic defects, caused by dirt on conveyor rollers, and also scratches, which can be very thin, have in common that the defect area of the boards is very small, but continuing over longer periods of time they are totally unaccceptable. Special mathematical evaluation is used to find these periodic defects, which wouldn’t otherwise be found. These defects are also given extra evaluation in the software users interface.
Paper roll quality evaluation
The complete data for each paper roll is evaluated and stored as a paper quality index in the system database. This information can be very useful in contacts with the paper supplier.
Auto calibration
The system will automatically adapt to changing ambient light conditions and variations in the paper color nuances. However basic calibrations for product changes with different paper colors should be made. These are easily done.
In-line quality control
Installed under the roller conveyors before the knife the system will give an early warning when there are defects. With the boards turned face down there can be no manual surface inspection. Not finding the defects until the final board inspection after the dryer will result in a loss of production for about an hour. If the end customer gets defect boards the costs will be even higher.
High resolution, high speed imaging
The defects can be smaller than an operator can see, down to the fibre structure of the paper.
Ease of use
The system is uncomplicated to use, with easy to understand user interface and system setup. No complicated computer commands like in older vision systems. Stored board images can be “re-run” for fine tuning of quality levels.
Well proven design
LIMAB has supplied the FalconEye system for 10 years to many of the market leading wallboard producers worldwide.
Complete package
With the complete system assembled at LIMAB we provide a complete turn-key solution, where we as the only contractor take full responsibility. The FalconEye includes all the hardware and software needed for any factory installation. LIMAB provide commissioning, training and on-going product support and service worldwide.
| Board width (maximum) | 1.500 mm (60″) |
| Board length | Unlimited |
| Production line type | Continuous or cut boards |
| Line speed (maximum) | 275 m/min (900 ft/min) |
| Board thickness | No limit |
| Defect size sensitivity | 1 x 1 mm at 60 m/min (0.003 x 0.003” at 200 feet/min) |
| 1 x 3 mm at 180 m/min (0.003 x 0.1” at 590 feet/min) | |
| Power supply | 230 VAC/115 VAC, 50/60 Hz |
| Ambient temperature | 0-40° C (32-104°F) |
| Cameras | Dual high speed line scan cameras 2000 Hz |
| Protection Class | IP64 (NEMA 4X) |
| Lighting | LED 600 lumen |
| Blower capacity | 690 m3/hour (0.55 kW) |