THICKNESS MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

摘要

A system and method for frequent and accurate measuring of flat sheet thickness on a process line is disclosed. The results of the monitoring process of the present invention may be used to adjust the production process. Data collection, data analysis, and process control are accomplished using a plurality of software applications in communication with various devices and equipment that support the collection, analysis, and control functions of the present invention. A source/detector unit collects data during the production process. The data is transmitted to a data acquisition processor (DAP) board for to be manipulated, analyzed, and compared for conformance to tolerances and error signal output is transmitted to a process control system used to control the production process. In the event the thickness of the sheet product is outside the specified upper and lower limits for a target thickness value, an alarm is triggered or an error message is displayed to notify an operator so corrective actions may then be taken. Commands from the DAP board may be communicated to various pieces of equipment or specific devices on the production floor. Software applications executing at a production floor computer may be used by an operator to perform setup and configuration operations for various production devices as well as to control processing when the production devices are operational. An interactive graphical display facilitates an operator's interaction with various software applications that support automation of the production process so that the resulting flat sheet is more likely to conform to the applicable specifications or tolerances.