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BR-112021019431-B1 - DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF ABNORMALITIES IN A COIL

BR112021019431B1BR 112021019431 B1BR112021019431 B1BR 112021019431B1BR-112021019431-B1

Abstract

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF ABNORMALITIES IN A COIL. The present patent application relates to a device (1) for detecting the presence of abnormalities in a coil (8), comprising: an image capture module (3) for capturing images of the coil (8) comprising at least one camera (14), displacement means (5) for displacing said coil (8) in the field of view of said at least one camera (14), analysis means for analyzing the images captured by said at least one camera (14) and detecting the presence of abnormalities. The capture module (3) comprises upper capture means (6) and lower capture means (7), the upper capture means (6) being fixed in a movable support (16) arranged to be movable relative to the lower capture means (7), the upper capture means (6) and/or the lower capture means (7) comprising at least one three-dimensional (3D) camera (14) arranged to provide a three-dimensional (3D) image of the coil (8). The invention further relates to a method for using the device (1) according to the invention.

Inventors

  • Alexandre BARCELLOS RAMOS
  • Rodrigo NUNES DA SILVA

Assignees

  • FITESA NÃOTECIDOS S/A

Dates

Publication Date
20260310
Application Date
20200402
Priority Date
20190403

Claims (15)

  1. 1. Device (1) for detecting the presence of abnormalities in a coil (8), in particular on the outer surface of the coil (8), the device (1) comprising: - an image capture module (3) for capturing images of the coil (8), said image capture module (3) comprising at least one camera (14), - displacement means (5) for displacing said coil (8) in the field of view of said at least one camera (14), - analysis means for analyzing the images captured by said at least one camera (14) and detecting the presence of abnormalities, characterized in that the image capture module (3) comprises upper capture means (6) for capturing the image of the upper face (9) of the coil, and lower capture means (7) for capturing the image of the lower face (10) of the coil, the upper capture means (6) being fixed in a movable support (16) arranged to be movable relative to the lower capture means (7), the upper capture means (6) and/or the lower capture means (7) comprising by less a three-dimensional (3D) camera (14) arranged to provide a three-dimensional (3D) image of the coil (8).
  2. 2. Device (1), according to claim 1, characterized in that the image capture module (3) further comprises illumination means (18) for illuminating the coil (8) during image capture.
  3. 3. Device (1), according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the device (1) further comprises at least one actuator (17) for actuating the displacement of the movable support (16).
  4. 4. Device (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the upper capture means (6) comprises at least one 3D camera (14) and at least one 2D camera (14), and/or the lower capture means (7) comprise at least one 3D camera (14) and at least one 2D camera (14).
  5. 5. Device (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the device (1) comprises at least one sensor module (21, 22) for activating and deactivating the image capture module (3) to control image capture depending on the position of the coil (6) relative to the camera(s) (14).
  6. 6. Device (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the displacement means comprises at least one conveyor belt (5) for transporting the coil guide (8) through the field of view of said at least one 3D Camera (14).
  7. 7. Device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the conveyor belt (5) comprises a plurality of rollers, said rollers having a chamfered surface (22) arranged to contact the coil (8).
  8. 8. Device (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said device (1) comprises a cleaning system for cleaning the camera(s) (14), in particular the lens of the camera(s), for example, a pneumatic system with blow nozzles and regulating valves for regulating the airflow on the lens of the camera(s) (14).
  9. 9. Device (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said device (1) further comprises computing means for calculating at least one parameter of the detected abnormality, such as measuring at least one dimension of said abnormality, such as width, diameter or height or volume.
  10. 10. Device (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the analysis means are arranged to interrupt the displacement means and emit an audible warning and/or send a warning message to the user if one or more abnormalities are found.
  11. 11. Device (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the abnormalities are chosen from misaligned core, core dimension pattern, crushed core, width variation, diameter variation, irregular side, such as cone, telescopic effect, nail head or ripple or foreign objects or color contamination.
  12. 12. Method for detecting one or more abnormalities in a coil (8), in particular on the outer surface of the coil (8), the method characterized in that it comprises: - i) providing the device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 11; - ii) activating the displacement means so as to place the coil (8) between the upper capture means (6) and the lower capture means (7); - iii) actuating the movable support (16) so as to position the coil (8) in the field of view of the 3D camera (14); - iv) capturing images of the coil (8); - v) analyzing the captured images to detect the presence of abnormalities.
  13. 13. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that said method further comprises the steps of: - Providing the theoretical value of at least one parameter of the coil (8), for example the width in cross-section of the diameter; - Moving the movable support (16) depending on said theoretical value of the coil to adjust the position of the coil relative to the 3D camera.
  14. 14. Method, according to any one of claims 12 to 13, characterized in that the image capture module (3) comprises at least one 3D camera and at least one 2D camera, wherein the method further comprises: - Computing the captured 3D and 2D images to generate a processed image; - Analyzing the processed image to detect the presence of abnormalities;
  15. 15. A method, according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the method further comprises means of calculation for calculating a parameter of the detected abnormality by measuring at least one dimension of said abnormalities, such as width or diameter, visual defects such as misaligned cores, standard core dimensions, crushed cores, irregular sides such as cones, telescopic effect, nail head or ripple, or foreign objects or color contamination.

Description

Field of invention (001) The present invention relates to a device for detecting the presence of abnormalities in a coil. The invention also relates to methods using said device. State of the art (002) Various materials, such as woven or nonwoven fabrics, metal or yarn, are advantageously packaged and supplied to manufacturers in reels (also called rolls or bobbins depending on the material) to optimize delivery in terms of quantity and easy-to-transport packaging. The raw material generally goes through a cutting, winding and packaging process to be ready for delivery to the consumer without defects. (003) Defects in the product to be wound onto the reel are checked by inspecting the flat surface during the production process. Before the product enters the winder, it goes through an inspection usually carried out on a two-dimensional plane to check for defects such as holes, dirt, insects, filament distribution, among others. (004) Nowadays, in the manufacture of products where the final products are coils, the verification of defects and contamination after cutting these coils is carried out by visual observation only and usually by sampling. (005) During the cutting and winding process, several abnormalities, such as defects and contamination, can occur. The defects that occur at this stage are related to poor winding, contamination and/or cutting defects, which can lead to displacement of the core. When wound, the product itself may bend or wrinkle at some point during this winding, which, at the end of the process, would result in a low-quality coil. The consumer would receive a defective coil, which would lead to its misuse and sometimes to the return of the product because it cannot be used by the customer. (006) Several approaches to detect defects or contamination have been reported to avoid the delivery of non-conforming coils of various materials. (007) Document WO2014160180 A1 (ALCOA INC [US]) describes a system for inspecting the surface of a roll comprising a prism, a camera, and a light source. The light source and prism are configured to provide light to the surface of the roll at a 75-degree angle. During the rotation of the roll, the camera remains stationary and scans the roll to provide a plurality of lines, each line corresponding to a section of the roll. The system then comprises a computer-based program capable of creating at least one frame by combining the received lines, the frame being a two-dimensional image. The disclosed method and system are limited to hot or cold metal. (008) Alternatively, document EP0934897 A1 (COGNIVISION RESEARCH SL [ES]) discloses an apparatus for inspecting wire spools in spinning. In this document, the apparatus comprises two 2D cameras that are moved relative to the spool in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spool by suitable drive means. Each camera takes a plurality of images of various areas of the spool under particular lighting conditions. The various images are subsequently processed by a computer program to assess defects in the wire spool. (009) Document WO0240383 A2 (LINETECH IND INC [US]) describes a filament inspection method for detecting abnormalities in a wound yarn package. The disclosed method includes illuminating the yarn package while detecting and recording a 2D image of the illuminated yarn package. The method further includes evaluating the image record according to pre-determined criteria to determine if the image indicates the presence of any abnormality in the yarn package. (0010) Document JPH085581 A (KANEBO LTD) describes a contamination detector for a reel in which a gray-level image input medium (CCD camera), i.e., 2D camera, takes the image of a line winding reel. The image is subjected to A/D conversion before being transferred to a processing section for contamination detection. (0011) However, when it comes to detecting abnormalities, such as defects and contamination, particularly in nonwoven fabrics, the existing prior technique does not provide satisfactory solutions, mainly because it cannot detect and measure certain defects or contaminations, for example, misaligned core, incorrect splicing, uneven side, width variation, or blurred bobbins. Defects occurring at this stage result in a low-quality bobbin, leading to its misuse and sometimes the return of that product because it cannot be used by the customer. Overall, abnormalities lead to an overall increase in cost for the manufacturer because a bobbin with abnormalities cannot be sold as such to a customer or buyer. (0012) Therefore, the type of defects or contaminations detectable by the existing prior technique is limited to a portion of the possible defects or contaminations that are likely to occur during coil manufacturing. There is a need for a device and method with a broader scope for detecting abnormalities. Summary of the invention (0013) One of the objectives of the invention is to provide a device and a method free from, or at lea