Online quality control of corrugated board panel by image processing

In this work a quality control procedure for corrugated board is presented. Mechanical performances of corrugated board panels are mainly influenced by the starting material, corrugation shape, panel thickness and adhesive joint quality. The actual shape of the corrugated board is acquired by a camera online and digitised to obtain a mathematical representation suitable for the calculation of actual shape parameters and the manufacturing error introduced. The mathematical model of actual shape is then used to generate a Finite Element Model of material microstructure that allows the calculation of stiffness and strength parameters of the panel giving a direct estimation of material performances. Extracted parameters can be introduced in a control system that tunes the input parameters related to the shape error detected and maintains the performances within the desired range. Copyright © 2005 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.