On-line Coating Weight Measurement
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Hector Marchand
Abstract:

The demand for high quality consumer packaging products with increased functionality continues to rise. Coatings are thinner, more complex and costly. Production runs are shorter and line speeds are increased to improve efficiency. Remaining competitive requires a process able to run quality in-spec product from the start to finish of a run. These tasks can not be accomplished with periodic off-line lab sampling, since a defect caught in the lab may be hours old! Add requirements for proof of product compliance and the ability to conduct real time process analysis for troubleshooting, machine improvements or product development, and a real time on-line measurement system is quickly seen as a requirement. Probably the single biggest challenge in selecting an online measurement system is selecting the right measurement technology. Some technologies can measure the coating directly, but their performance may be limited by the types of coatings or the characteristics of the substrates. Other technologies are more versatile, involving multiple subtractive weight gauges, but these systems can be complex, expensive and limited in accuracy. Other parameters, such as moisture, substrate weight, or total product weight may be critical performance factors, and may need on-line measurement solutions as well. In this webinar, we will review techniques that can be used to define the requirements of the measurement system based on end-product characteristics, and then use those requirements to help define the best measurement and control system to meet process needs.