ABB has developed an online automated inspection system that analyses pulp bale to detect miniscule dirt spots and other defects.
The system uses the company’s Web Imaging HDI800 defect detection and classification system, and is said to detect particles as small as 0.04 square millimetres, with an accuracy of 0.01 square millimetres. It is expected to find applications in paper pulp mills.
Current pulp bale analysis is sample-based, covers only a fraction of the bale, and is said to be time-consuming, inefficient and error-prone. The new inspection system uses digital camera technology and computer algorithms to detect and record defects, classifying them into meaningful clusters.
This enables operators to identify the source of the defects and take corrective action.