Uster will introduce its nonwoven quality control solution at INDEX20 to be held in Geneva, Switzerland on October, 19-22, 2021. The combination of USTER® JOSSI VISION SHIELD N and USTER® EVS FABRIQ VISION N, which offers effective solutions in contamination detection, provides a unique quality monitoring opportunity for the nonwovens industry. Automated systems using high-performance spectroscopes play an important role in achieving the required standards by ensuring that the quality is always better to achieve a flawless result in nonwoven production. The combination of Uster automated contamination removal and quality assurance makes it a viable option for nonwovens producers to maintain quality, avoid material waste and take full advantage of the potential for process optimization.
Uster increases quality in nonwoven fabrics
While contamination greatly affects the quality of nonwoven fabrics, fibre cleanliness and bundle size stand out as important details. Small contaminant particles can be hidden in larger bundles, making their location particularly difficult when the material is compressed further. USTER® JOSSI VISION SHIELD N offers a solution to this problem and is ideally positioned right behind the fine opener on the production line, allowing fibre bundles to pass through spectroscopes in their most open state.
USTER® JOSSI VISION SHIELD N was developed as a result of hours of field tests and surveys, in close collaboration with international nonwovens companies. The fibre cleaner is easy to install as the slim design fits well into existing lines and easily copes with the high output of standard lines. For best detection results, the fibre cleaner is tuned to identify typical types of contamination in nonwovens, including coloured fibres.
Contamination detection down to the finest part
In Europe last year, medical applications recorded an increase in demand of 118% and wipes personal care plus 22%. These are the top two growing segments according to EDANA – and they are also the ones showing a trend towards zero tolerance levels for defects larger than 1 mm. While other technologies use conventional colour cameras, the built-in spectroscopes of USTER® JOSSI VISION SHIELD N operate on a much greater wavelength range. This enables detection of contamination within the ‘invisible’ range of infrared and ultraviolet light, and even contamination fragments of the same or similar shade as the fibres themselves – down to the fineness of a human hair.
The Uster nonwovens systems lead to total fabric quality assurance by using automated control during intermediate inspection. USTER® EVS FABRIQ VISION N locates any visible faults objectively and consistently. Defects in every roll are located and recorded in a defect map, at full line running speeds. USTER® EVS FABRIQ VISION N enables seamless integration of an inspection system into any production process – and ideally into nonwovens manufacturing lines – detecting contamination, holes, irregularities and any other defect. Installation is simple and flexible: a fixture bar bridges the full width of the process line, holding as many spectroscopes as required for the application.