Optical inspection system for detecting surface profile defects in manufactured webs - Patents.com

Abstract

Systems and techniques for detecting surface profile defects in a moving web are described. An exemplary system includes a conveyor configured to translate the web along a downweb direction at a translational velocity relative to an inspection zone, a point light source configured to emit light, the point light source positioned and oriented relative to the conveyor to illuminate a portion of the web disposed in the inspection zone, a diffusive screen positioned and oriented relative to the conveyor to receive light reflected from the web as it is translated through the inspection zone, an image capture device configured to capture an image of the diffusive screen, and a computing device configured to identify surface profile defects in a surface of the web based on the image and output data indicative of relative locations of the defects within the web.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to manufacturing systems, and in particular to inspection systems for optically inspecting manufactured sheets or webs of film. [Background technology]

[0002] The manufacturing process for producing various types of films, such as adhesive coated films, involves producing the film in a long continuous sheet called a web. The web itself is generally a material having a fixed width in one direction (the "crossweb direction") and either a predetermined or indefinite length in the orthogonal direction along the production line (the "downweb direction" or "machine direction").

[0003] Surface profile defects such as dents or surface texture defects occur regularly in the manufacture of highly reflective surfaces such as optical films or automotive coating applications. Even very subtle or shallow dents can be easily seen by a human observer, so the surface quality must be clean for the product to be acceptable. However, such defects are typically only visible to the observer when an object moves in and out of the specular reflection, which transitions the appearance of the dent between dark and light. Therefore, manual inspection is usually performed by manipulating the surface of the web material, so that the reflection is directed to the observer by the specular reflection.

[0004] Unfortunately, this is not possible with automated inspection systems, and conventional inspection techniques require that the web material be maintained in an extremely flat orientation while being transported through the inspection zone so that the image can remain close to a specular reflection. This is sometimes referred to as "near dark field" or "twilight" illumination. Then, as a surface dent passes through the inspection zone, the resulting image exhibits a light / dark transition that is easily detected. However, holding the sample in an extremely flat position typically requires a dedicated offline inspection system, such that deflections due to vibrations caused by movement or part curl (flatness) are significantly smaller than the angular deflections caused by the least severe dents. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Generally, this disclosure describes techniques for inspecting a web for surface profile defects (e.g., dents, holes, or scratches) using high intensity illumination across the web. In some examples, the techniques utilize collimated illumination across the web and reflect the light onto a high performance diffusing screen to generate diffuse light that can be imaged by a precision line scan camera. As a result, as described further herein, any vibrations or curls in the web cause vertical (z-axis) translation of the reflected image on the surface of the diffusing screen without loss of focus, and such translations are accommodated within the optical inspection system without affecting the ability to detect transitions from light to dark areas due to surface profile variations of the moving web. This allows subtle dents and other surface profile defects to be detected in high speed manufacturing environments, overcoming traditional limitations of web planarity caused by flutter, wrinkling, and other similar causes.

[0006] The technique may be particularly useful for detecting surface defects in optical films during manufacturing operations while the film is transported through a manufacturing system. As an additional example, the technique may also be useful for detecting strain lines (also referred to herein as machine direction line (MDL) defects) in a moving web without the need to sample and test portions of the web with a fixed-position offline inspection system.

[0007] In one embodiment, the present disclosure describes a system for detecting surface profile defects in a moving web. The system includes a conveyor configured to translate the web in a downweb direction at a translational velocity relative to an inspection zone, and a point light source configured to emit light, the point light source positioned and oriented relative to the conveyor to illuminate a portion of the web disposed within the inspection zone with the light. The system further includes a diffusive screen positioned and oriented relative to the conveyor to receive light reflected from the web as the web is translated through the inspection zone, an image capture device configured to capture an image of the diffusive screen, and a computing device configured to identify surface profile defects in a surface of the web based on the image. In some embodiments, the system generates and outputs data indicative of a relative position of the defects in the web.

[0008] In another embodiment, the present disclosure describes a method of detecting surface profile defects in a moving web, the method including translating the web along a downweb direction at a translational velocity by a conveyor of a manufacturing process line to an inspection zone, and emitting light incident on a surface of the moving web with a point light source, the point light source being positioned and oriented relative to the conveyor to illuminate a portion of the web disposed within the inspection zone, the method further including receiving light reflected from the web with a diffusing screen positioned and oriented perpendicular to the downweb direction of the conveyor to form an image on the diffusing screen indicative of shadows of surface profile defects of the web as the web is translated through the inspection zone, generating image data indicative of the image formed on the diffusing screen with a line scanner image capture device, and processing the image data with a processor to detect surface profile defects in the surface of the web.

[0009] The details of one or more examples are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system for imaging and inspecting a web, such as an optical film, for defects during production of the web and at line speed of the manufacturing process. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating further exemplary details of the system of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary web having surface profile defects detectable while the web is moving at production speeds using the systems and techniques described herein. [Figure 4A] 1 is an image illustrating an exemplary surface profile defect in a web that can be detected during manufacturing according to the techniques described herein. [Figure 4B] 1 is an image illustrating an exemplary surface profile defect in a web that can be detected during manufacturing according to the techniques described herein. [Figure 4C] 1 is an image illustrating an exemplary surface profile defect in a web that can be detected during manufacturing according to the techniques described herein. [Figure 4D] 1 is an image illustrating an exemplary surface profile defect in a web that can be detected during manufacturing according to the techniques described herein. [Figure 4E] 1 is an image illustrating an exemplary surface profile defect in a web that can be detected during manufacturing according to the techniques described herein. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating in greater detail an exemplary implementation of an imaging unit configured to detect surface profile defects in a moving web. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a top view of an example implementation of a system configured to detect surface profile defects on a moving web. [Figure 7A] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a downweb view of an exemplary implementation of an imaging unit configured to detect machine direction line (MDL) surface profile defects of a moving web in accordance with the techniques described herein. [Figure 7B] 1 is an exemplary image illustrating exemplary machine direction line (MDL) surface profile defects in a web. [Figure 8] 2 is a block diagram showing an example processing unit of the system of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating an example operation of detecting defects in a web using a processing unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] FIGURE 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system 100 for manufacturing one or more webs and imaging and inspecting the webs for defects. In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1, system 100 includes an input 101, a manufacturing process 102 for manufacturing a web 104, an inspection system 105, and a processing unit 120. As will be further described, in this embodiment, inspection system 105 includes one or more imaging units 108, each of which includes an image capture device 110A-110N (collectively "image capture device 110"), a light source 107A-107N (collectively "light unit 112"), and a diffuser 111A-111N.

[0012] In general, the manufacturing process 102 receives and / or consists of various inputs 101 (e.g., materials, energy, people, machines) to produce a web 104. The manufacturing process 102 is not limited to any particular type or form of manufacturing, but is illustrative of any type of manufacturing process operable to produce a web 104. The web 104 represents a manufacturing web material, which may be any flexible web-like material having a fixed dimension in one direction and either a predetermined or indefinite length in the orthogonal (downweb) direction. Examples of web materials include metal, paper, woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, glass, polymer film, flexible circuit, or combinations thereof. Metal may include materials such as steel or aluminum. Woven fabrics generally include various fabrics. Nonwoven fabrics include materials (e.g., paper, filter media, or insulating materials). Films include, for example, polymer films. The terms "film" and "film product" are used herein to refer to materials formed from sheets having a nominal thickness, a predetermined width dimension, and a predetermined or indefinite length dimension. In various embodiments, a film or film product is formed from a single layer of one type of material, and the single layer of material is transparent or translucent. However, examples of types of films and film products are not limited to single layer films or films that include only one type of material, and other forms of films are contemplated by the use of the terms "film" and "film product" described in this disclosure.

[0013] During manufacturing process 102, web 104 may develop various defects. In some embodiments, the defects include surface profile defects, i.e., defects that cause deviations in the outer, generally flat surface of web 104, such as scratches or dents that protrude into or out of the surface, thereby causing variations in the three-dimensional (3D) surface profile of the web.

[0014] In some scenarios, the processing unit 120 is configured to determine whether the web 104 includes defects based on image data captured from the web 104 via the optical inspection system 105. In general, optically detecting surface profile deviations of a moving web material at a typical line speed of a manufacturing process without pausing or stopping the processing line can be challenging due to flutter, curvature, vibration, or other dynamics that result in unexpected changes in the z-axis motion of the surface of the moving web material, especially when a fixed viewing angle and a fixed illumination angle are used in the optical inspection system 105. Moreover, such technical challenges can be even more challenging when inspecting flexible materials such as the web 104, which, unlike rigid materials such as glass, may experience surface curvature while being transported within the manufacturing process 104. As will be further described, the inspection system 105 provides a technical solution to these technical challenges and enables surface profile detection of the moving flexible web 104.

[0015] In the example of FIG. 1, each imaging unit 108 of the inspection system 105 includes a corresponding light source 107, a diffuser 111, and an image capture device 110. Generally, each light source 107 includes a point light source constructed and arranged to emit either divergent or collimated light over a relatively large area of ​​the web 104, such as an area 200+ or ​​even 3000+ mm across the web 104, as the web is transported through the manufacturing process 102. By way of example, the light source 107 may include a high power LED, a light source having a collimating lens (optical element), or even a high intensity large scale spotlight similar to a theater spotlight to generate collimated light over a width of over one meter of the web 104. As an example, the light source 107 may include one or more high power LEDs having model #AFS-700 manufactured by Altman Lighting. Further, in some embodiments, each light source 107 may be fixed or translated at a particular spatial location or angle relative to the web 104 such that each light source 107 emits light onto the surface of the web 104 at a fixed, single angle of incidence as the web 104 is transported through an inspection region associated with the inspection system 105. While such a spatial arrangement may be required due to spatial constraints of a manufacturing environment, the use of a single angle of incidence may create technical challenges for detecting surface profile defects of the web 104, which technical challenges may be overcome by the technical solutions described herein.

[0016] In some embodiments, each imaging unit 108 includes a diffuser 111 configured to receive collimated light reflected from an outer surface of the web 104. In general, a typical diffusing surface of a web material may be very inefficient in terms of light reflectance, and as a result, defects of reasonable size cannot be detected at typical speeds at which the web 104 is conveyed through the manufacturing process 102. That is, in a typical manufacturing environment, there is often not enough light to sense surface profile defects. To address these issues, in some embodiments, the imaging units 108 may utilize a diffuser 111, such as a diffusing film, to collect reflected light from the web 104 and allow a significantly higher signal to be realized from the reflected light. One exemplary advantage of using collimated light is that the collimated light increases tolerance to curvature and movement in the Z direction without losing focus of the image formed on the diffuser 111.

[0017] Additionally, each imaging unit 108 includes an image capture device 110 positioned at a fixed viewing angle relative to the surface of the web 104 and configured to receive light reflected by the web 104 and generate image data from the reflected light. It is recognized herein that for detecting surface profile defects of the moving web 104, conventional area cameras are often ineffective due to geometric constraints associated with the optics of the area camera, especially in environments where the area camera may be used at a viewing angle relative to the inspection area, thereby resulting in image amplification or distortion. Thus, in some embodiments, each of the image capture devices 110 comprises a high sensitivity line scan camera or the like that allows for higher sensitivity while avoiding potential problems, such as spatial amplification, associated with area cameras positioned at a fixed viewing angle relative to the web 104.

[0018] The processing unit 120 analyzes the image data generated by the imaging unit(s) 108 to identify any surface profile defects. Exemplary techniques include any of the following (or similar) methods of increasing complexity known to those skilled in the art. Simple blob or connected component analysis, Pattern matching or "golden template" methods, and Supervised or unsupervised machine learning using convolutional neural networks.

[0019] In some examples, the techniques described herein can be applied to extract surface profile defects even when the surface of the web 104 may have known surface variations, referred to herein as surface texture. In such cases, the processing unit 120 may comprise one or more convolutional neural networks (CNNs) or other machine learning models trained using image data having known surface variations (e.g., textures or patterns), and the CNNs can be applied to identify any surface profile defects in such surfaces. For example, in some implementations, the processing unit 120 executes one or more inference engines that can use the machine learning models to detect and classify defects in the sheet parts using the image data of the sheet parts. The machine learning models can define multiple layers of CNNs, each CNN can be trained to detect different categories of defects based on the image data of the sheet parts and output defect data indicative of the defects in the sheet parts detected in the image data. The processing unit 120 can use the defect data to determine data indicative of a quality category of the sheet parts. For example, the processing unit 120 can determine data indicative of a quality category of the sheet parts, the quality category indicating that the sheet parts are satisfactory, defective, or in need of rework. The processing unit 120 may determine other quality categories in addition to or instead of satisfactory, defective, or needing rework.

[0020] In some aspects, the machine learning model(s) of the processing unit 120 may include multiple CNNs trained to detect different types of defects. The inference engine of the processing unit 120 may receive the image data and pass the image data through the multiple CNNs. The output of each CNN may be data indicating whether a type of defect detected by the CNN is present in the image data. The quality assessment unit may receive data indicating whether each type of defect detected by the respective CNN is present in the image data and apply a weight(s) to the data for each defect type to generate data indicating a quality category of the sheet part. Further exemplary details of CNN-based image data analysis for web inspection may be found in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 039,065, filed June 15, 2020, entitled “INSPECTING SHEET GOODS USING DEEP LEARNING,” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0021] Further, in some cases, the processing unit 120 may process the image data to analyze the surface texture applied to the web 104 in addition to detecting any surface profile defects, and such analysis may be configured to generate one or more metrics that provide quantitative information that describes or otherwise evaluates the surface texture of the inspected area. This may be useful to detect any areas within the surface of the web 104 that do not meet or conform to a desired surface profile or texture, such as areas of the web where the surface profile has insufficient or excessively desired "orange peel" surface texture. Exemplary quantitative information characterizing the surface texture in any particular area of ​​the surface of the web 104 may include the following: one or more metrics from a global statistical analysis (mean, standard deviation, variance, ...) of the surface profile of a particular web 104 in the Z direction, or Data representing a frequency analysis generated from the surface profile. For example, the image data can be processed with an FFT or Fast Fourier Transform and the resulting information analyzed to determine dominant frequencies within the image that can be correlated to spatial distances that are repeated within the product being inspected.

[0022] Further, processing unit 120 can output defect indicators and location information when the quantitative information does not meet a threshold amount defined for the desired surface texture and / or does not fall within range for the desired metric.

[0023] As one general example, processing unit 120 may perform blob analysis to determine whether an image of web 104 contains any relatively dark regions that represent defects having sufficient surface deviations to cause a "shadow" on diffuser 111. In one example, processing unit 120 may perform image thresholding and boundary detection to identify dark regions within the image data. For example, processing unit 120 may compare the intensity of each pixel to a threshold intensity, and if the intensity of a pixel of the image meets (e.g., is greater than or equal to) the threshold intensity, the pixel may be assigned a first value (e.g., a pixel color such as black) indicative of a defect, and if the intensity does not meet (e.g., is less than) the threshold intensity, the pixel may be assigned a second value (e.g., white).

[0024] In some scenarios, processing unit 120 determines the location of defects in web 104. For example, processing unit 120 can determine a crossweb location and a downweb location for each defect detected based on the images. In some examples, processing unit 120 determines the amount or density of defects in web 104 or within a given portion of web 104.

[0025] Processing unit 120 may perform one or more actions in response to determining that web 104 includes one or more surface profile defects. In some embodiments, the action includes outputting a command to cause manufacturing process 102 to pause or stop manufacturing web 104. In one embodiment, the action includes outputting a notification indicating that web 104 includes a defect. In some cases, the notification also includes data indicating the type and / or cause of the defect.

[0026] The processing unit 120 may output data to assist in determining whether to convert the web 104 into a consumer product (also referred to as a consumer roll or sheet part) based on the amount of defects, the density of the defects, the location of the defects, the size of the defects, or a combination thereof. For example, the processing unit 120 may output a recommendation to discard the entire web 104 in response to determining that the amount of defects meets (e.g., is equal to or greater than) a threshold amount. In another example, the processing unit 120 may output a recommendation to discard a portion of the web 104 in response to determining that the amount of defects in a portion meets a threshold amount. For example, the processing unit 120 may output a recommendation to discard an edge portion of the web 104 (e.g., in the cross-web direction) and that the remaining portion of the web 104 is suitable for conversion into a consumer product. In this manner, the processing unit 120 can selectively convert the web 104 or a portion of the web 104 into a consumer roll. In some embodiments, the defect-free or usable web 104 is converted into a consumer roll by cutting the web 104 into relatively small individual products (e.g., 5 m, 10 m, or 50 m rolls). As mentioned above, examples of consumer rolls include packing tape, masking tape, or any other adhesive tape.

[0027] In this manner, system 100 can automatically detect surface profile defects in one or more webs produced by a manufacturing facility. In contrast to instances where a human manually inspects a small portion of a web after the web is manufactured, system 100 can increase the accuracy of detecting surface profile defects by automatically detecting defects in the surface of web 104 at or near the manufacturing line speed, i.e., the transport speed of the web during production, thereby avoiding off-line inspection. By more accurately detecting web defects and by enabling in-line detection of surface profile defects, system 100 can increase the efficiency of the manufacturing facility and improve the quality of the webs produced by the manufacturing facility.

[0028] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating another example implementation of system 100 of Figure 1, in accordance with one or more example implementations and techniques described in this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, system 100 includes image capture device 110, idlers 131A-131N, acquisition computers 114A-114N (collectively "acquisition computers 114"), analysis computer 114Y, storage unit 116, network 118, and processing unit 120.

[0029] System 100 includes image capture devices 110A-110N (e.g., line scan cameras) configured to inspect web 104 by capturing image data from diffuser 111 as the web advances continuously through an inspection area of ​​the image capture devices. In an exemplary embodiment of inspection system 100 as shown in FIG. 2, moving web 104 is transported on idler 131. Image capture devices 110 are positioned proximate to a surface of web 104 such that each of image capture devices 110 can capture image data of web 104 as web 104 advances through imaging unit 108. The number of image capture devices that can be included in image capture devices 110A-110N is not limited to a particular number of devices and may be one, two, or more devices.

[0030] 2, image capture device 110 is positioned proximate to an idler 131 that carries a plurality of webs. Image capture device 110 is positioned to image web 104 to obtain image data as web 104 moves along idler 131 in the direction indicated by arrow 137. During an imaging process that may be performed using system 100, web 104 may advance across idler 131 generally in the direction indicated by arrow 137.

[0031] In general, the systems and techniques described herein provide technical solutions to technical challenges that arise in inspecting surface profile defects in real time on a moving manufacturing line at line speeds (e.g., 10 ft / min to 1000 ft / min) where changes in the degree of "flatness" of the moving flexible web 104 can significantly affect the ability to detect surface profile defects. That is, using conventional approaches, the web 104 typically needs to be maintained at a certain flatness where any angular deviation due to Z-direction flutter, edge sagging, troughing, etc. is less than the minimum detectable angular deviation of a surface profile defect. Typical flatness variations of the web 104 on a roll-to-roll manufacturing machine (e.g., idler 131) can be 0.05 degrees to 0.5 degrees or more depending on the line accuracy and product specifications, and visual dent defects visible to the human eye via manual inspection can have a surface angle deviation of, for example, 0.1 degrees. Inspecting on a precision idler or other flat surface rather than free span still presents technical challenges, as any particles on the roller / surface will "tent" the film in the Z direction (deflect it). If the film deforms more than the smallest defect dent, conventional techniques can result in false positive defects due to tenting, which is repeated at a distance equal to the roll circumference when inspection is performed on an idler. The techniques and systems described herein overcome these technical challenges.

[0032] The image capture devices 110 detect light reflected by the web 104 onto one or more diffusers, as described further below. Each of the image capture devices 110 provides an electrical output signal representative of a sensed image of the web 104 to a respective set of acquisition computers 114A-114N. The acquisition computers 114A-114N are coupled to the analysis computer 114Y and configured to provide an output representative of image data captured by the corresponding image capture device 110A-110N to the analysis computer 114Y. In some cases, acquisition and analysis may occur on the same computer. In other embodiments, the image capture devices 110A-110N may provide digital data streams and / or analog signals representative of images captured by the cameras directly to a computing device, such as the analysis computer 114Y, for further processing by processing circuitry included in the analysis computer 114Y.

[0033] In one embodiment, processing circuitry of analysis computer 114Y processes an image stream that includes image data provided from acquisition computers 114A-114N, or alternatively directly from image capture devices 110A-110N, as web 104 advances through imaging unit 108 on idler 131. Analysis computer 114Y can also be configured to output the image data to a database, such as storage unit 116 and / or a storage unit of processing unit 120.

[0034] The analysis computer 114Y may be configured to perform one or more pre-processing operations on the images captured by the image capture device 110 before transferring the images to the processing unit 120. The image pre-processing may include one or some combination of performing a spatial convolution operation, rank filtering (median), contrast enhancement, static flat-field correction, filtered image differencing, and / or frequency processing on the image data. Examples of spatial convolution operations that may be used to pre-process the image data may include neighborhood averaging, Gaussian kernel gradient filtering, and / or directional edge enhancement. An example of a difference in filtered image differencing may include processing based on a Gaussian difference of the image data. An example of a frequency transform may include processing in frequency space to remove artifacts and then apply an inverse transform.

[0035] In general, processing unit 120 may output a user interface for display, e.g., to provide a graphical display showing the results of the analysis of the multiple sets of reference images. For example, the user interface may indicate whether web 104 contains any defects, including surface profile defects. In one embodiment, the user interface indicates the location, size, shape, cause, and / or type of such defects.

[0036] 3 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary web 104. In one embodiment, the web 104 is a multilayer optical film, such as a display enhancement film that may be applied to increase the brightness of backlights used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs). As another example, the web 104 may include a film that is applied as a paint protection film to automobiles without altering the color or design features of the vehicle.

[0037] In the example of Figure 3, the web 104 includes an outer surface 316, e.g., an upper surface that conforms to a surface profile, such as a substantially flat surface. As shown in Figure 3, the web 104 may include surface profile imperfections, that is, locations where the three-dimensional (3D) profile of the surface 316 deviates from a desired profile. In this example, the web 104 includes a first defect 318 that represents a dent, i.e., a depression in the surface, a second defect 320 that represents a tear or hole, and a third defect 322 that represents a protrusion, such as a ridge or line, outward from the surface of the web 104.

[0038] 4A-4D are exemplary images showing exemplary surface profile defects in a web. Specifically, FIGS. 4A and 4D are images 400, 402 showing surface profile defects 401 and 403, respectively, in an optical film having a relatively flat surface, i.e., a "smooth" surface, with little or no desired surface texture. FIGS. 4C and 4D are images 404, 406 showing surface profile defects 408 and 410, respectively, in an optical film used as a protective coating film conforming to a flat surface, having a textured profile, i.e., an "orange peel" surface texture. As will be described, the techniques and systems disclosed herein enable in-line detection of such surface profile defects during manufacturing, i.e., while the web 104 is being conveyed through the manufacturing process.

[0039] FIG. 4E is an image 407 showing surface profile defects 412, 414 referred to as "machine direction line" (MDL) defects. In various embodiments, MDL defects are defects in the surface of the film that extend in the downweb (longitudinal axis) direction of the film and often have relatively small dimensions in the crossweb direction, such as in the range of 0.1 to 10 millimeters. However, the Z-direction film thickness or "caliper" deviation for MDL defects can be extremely small, such as in the range of 100 to 1000 nanometers. This level of crossweb variation in the film surface is extremely difficult to detect using known film inspection techniques. However, these defects can have a significant impact, for example, when the web 104 is used as a reinforcement film for displays, such as films used in computer monitors or cell phones, causing the display to have visually discernible distortion(s) that are perceived by the human eye when viewing the display or screen. The techniques described herein enable real-time detection of MDL defects during the manufacturing process at the line speed of the production line.

[0040] 5 is a block diagram illustrating in more detail one exemplary implementation of an imaging unit 108 configured to detect surface profile defects in a moving web 104 while the web is transported in a downweb (machine) direction (MD) during a manufacturing process, in some embodiments. As shown in this embodiment, the imaging unit 108 includes a light source 107 that generates light 509 across at least a portion of the web 104 in a cross-web direction orthogonal to the MD direction. For example, the light source 107 may be a single point source that generates diverging light or may include one or more optical elements, such as mirrors and / or lenses, that may be used to collimate the light.

[0041] The diffusion screen 510 provides a surface that receives the reflected light 509' reflected from the web 104 and operates to distribute the light at a relatively uniform angle of reflection relative to the plane of the diffuser. More specifically, the light 509 reflects off the top surface of the web 104 as it is transported in the MD direction through the inspection region. Although the web 104 may conform to a relatively flat profile during transport, the techniques herein enable effective defect detection even when the web's surface profile curvature is much smaller than the surface profile deviation of defects of interest such as dents, scratches, and holes.

[0042] In general, the light 509' reflected from the web 104, which may be collimated or divergent, forms a shadowgraphic image on the diffusing screen 510. A typical angle of incidence of the reflected light 509' may be, for example, in the range of 30-75 degrees from the normal of the surface of the web 104 being inspected. In this image, local variations in the reflected surface form "shadows" on the diffusing screen 510 that are easily detectable when imaged with a line scan camera 514. By using a line scan camera, the image amplification and depth of field problems otherwise introduced by an area camera can be avoided, even when the diffusing screen 510 is positioned at an angle to the web 104. Thus, the techniques described herein provide an important technical advantage of providing high tolerance to Z-axis (vertical) motions, such as vibration or flutter of the web 104 during transport, or even some curvature of the web. That is, any movement in the Z direction simply changes the position of the shadow on the diffusion screen 510 and does not affect image fidelity or the ability to detect any shadows in the image that are indicative of surface profile defects in the web 104.

[0043] In an alternative embodiment, the diffusing screen 510 operates as a transmissive diffuser configured to allow the reflected light 509' to pass through the screen to emit as diffused, uncollimated light 516. Such a configuration may be advantageous for manufacturing processes and systems where geometric and spatial constraints otherwise prevent positioning the camera 514 to capture images directly from the web-facing side of the diffusing screen 510.

[0044] 6 is a block diagram illustrating a top view of an exemplary implementation of a system 100 configured to detect surface profile defects in a moving web 104. As shown in this example, the system 100 includes an optical inspection system configured as multiple rows 602A, 602B of imaging units 108 across the web 104 in a cross-web direction. Each imaging unit 108 further includes a light source 107 that generates divergent or collimated light across at least a portion of the web 104 in a cross-web direction perpendicular to the MD direction, a diffusive screen 510 for collecting the collimated reflected light, and a line scan camera 512 for imaging a shadowgraph formed on the respective diffusive screen 510. For example, each light source 107 may be a single point source that generates divergent light, or may collimate the light using one or more optical elements such as mirrors and / or lenses.

[0045] In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the imaging units 108 arranged in rows 602A, 602B are staggered in the cross-web direction to accommodate the spatial and geometric constraints of the manufacturing environment, but overall, the entire cross-web width of the web 104 is imaged by the image data collectively captured from the diffusion screens 510. That is, each of the diffusion screens 510 is of width W such that the sum of the widths of the N diffusion screens is equal to or greater than the entire cross-web width CW of the web 104. Furthermore, each diffusion screen 510 in row 602A may be positioned to overlap a corresponding (adjacent in the cross-web direction) diffusion screen 510 in row 602B by at least a margin amount (e.g., a few centimeters), such that there is no cross-web gap, i.e., no unimaged cross-web area of ​​the web 104. Although shown with two rows of imaging units 108, additional rows may be utilized with diffusion screens 510 having smaller widths, thereby achieving additional space for installing each imaging unit 108 in the manufacturing environment.

[0046] One technical advantage of a configuration such as the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 is the reduction of edge effects, where light from one light source 107 bleeds into and interferes with adjacent imaging units 108. Because adjacent imaging units 108 in the cross-web direction are staggered in the down-web direction (i.e., in different rows), the possibility of light interference between adjacent imaging units is significantly reduced or eliminated, allowing for higher sensitivity levels to be used. Furthermore, such a configuration can allow for an increased number of high-resolution image capture devices 512 to be placed within the spatial constraints of the manufacturing process, thus increasing the resolution of the complete cross-web image data captured from the surface of the web 104. In some embodiments, the light sources 107, diffusion screens 510, and image capture devices 512 of the first row 602A are oriented 180 degrees opposite to the light sources, diffusion screens, and image capture devices of the second row 602B, which can provide certain technical advantages with respect to placing image inspection units in spatially limited manufacturing lines.

[0047] Generally, the techniques described herein are for the inspection of films to detect machine direction line (MDL) surface profile defects of the film. In various embodiments, MDL defects are defects in the surface of the film that continue in the downweb (longitudinal axis) direction of the film and often have relatively small dimensions in the crossweb direction, such as in the range of 0.1 to 10 millimeters. Furthermore, the film thickness or caliper deviation for MDL defects (z-direction) can be extremely small, such as in the range of 10 to 1000 nanometers, making MDL defects very difficult to detect. This level of variation in the film surface is extremely difficult to detect using known film inspection techniques. However, these defects, when used as reinforced films for displays, such as films used in computer monitors or mobile phones, cause the display to have visually discernible distortion(s) that are perceived by the human eye when viewing the display or screen. As recognized herein, in order to provide high quality films for use as films for displays or other applications where small distortions in the film can be problematic, it is important to be able to detect MDL type defects in films before the films are released or sold for use in these applications. Further, as recognized herein, the ability to consistently detect MDL defects can be used to help film manufacturers determine the source or cause of these MDL defects and repair or otherwise adjust the manufacturing process to eliminate MDL defects in subsequently produced film webs. In addition, as recognized herein, the ability to detect MDL defects having submicron range variations is an effective tool for use in evaluating the suitability of new raw materials used in film manufacturing processes, as well as for evaluating process improvements being considered for use in the production of films and film products. The exemplary implementations and techniques described herein enable consistent detection of MDL defects that cause surface defects in films having submicron range variations.These exemplary implementations and techniques also allow quantitative measurements to be made and tracked for these MDL defects, thus providing a means for detection, monitoring, and improvement in the manufacture of these films and film products.

[0048] As recognized herein, MDL defects present in a film change what is referred to as the "optical caliper" of the film along the location of the film where one or more MDL defects are present. Optical caliper refers to the characteristics of light waves as they pass through a transparent or translucent film, generally with respect to the thickness dimension of the film, including the characteristics of light waves as they enter the film at a first surface of the film, pass through the film itself, and exit the film at a surface of the film adjacent the first surface of the film. Exemplary implementations and techniques described herein provide imaging of film products and image processing techniques that provide detection and quantification of machine direction lines of film products that represent sub-micron variations in the optical caliper of the film. In various embodiments, machine direction lines caused by caliper variations on the order of 100 nanometers can be detected using the exemplary embodiments and techniques described herein.

[0049] As mentioned above, MDL defects can be problematic. For example, when present on a film intended for use on a display device such as a computer monitor or a mobile phone, MDL defects can cause distortion in the image viewed on the display device and distract the user. However, due to the very small optical caliper distortion of these MDL defects, conventional techniques such as measuring the thickness of the film or film product are not adequate to detect these small dimensional defects generated by MDL defects. The exemplary implementations and techniques disclosed herein enable the detection and quantification of MDL defects having sub-micron dimensions.

[0050] 7A is a block diagram illustrating a down-web view of one exemplary implementation of an imaging unit 708 configured to detect machine direction line (MDL) surface profile defects of a moving web 104 while the web 104 is transported at line speed during a manufacturing process. As shown in this example, the imaging unit 708 includes a movable frame 702 disposed on a transport support 704. Generally, the frame 702, which houses a light source 707, a screen 710, and a camera 714 of the imaging unit 708, is translated in a cross-web direction to scan the web 104 as it traverses the manufacturing line.

[0051] MDL defects, also called strain lines, typically appear continuous or nearly continuous in the downweb direction. It is therefore recognized herein that directional analysis is useful for increasing the signal-to-noise ratio and providing more accurate detection and identification. Unfortunately, conventional imaging systems often have stationary noise that can be larger than the strain line signal, i.e., the signal-to-noise ratio is too low. To address this technical challenge, in some embodiments, the frame 702 provides a rigid support for the camera 714 and is translated across the web 104 to continuously scan the web 104 in the crossweb direction while the web 104 moves in the downweb direction. Advantageously, as a result of the linear movement in the crossweb direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the web 104, the MDL surface defects appear as an angular offset in the captured image data, i.e., appear to run at an angle through the imaged area, with such angle being a known function of the camera acquisition speed, the web speed, and the crossweb scan speed. Thus, a processing unit, such as processing unit 120 of FIG. 1, can be tuned to apply higher sensitivity to detect linear defects by image processing and filtering the image data according to the known angular offset, thereby eliminating the background noise of the sampling system and enabling detection of MDL surface profile defects with much higher accuracy and sensitivity, thereby providing a significant technical advantage given the extremely small variations in surface thickness.

[0052] The example imaging unit 708 of FIG. 7A can be particularly useful in detecting MDL surface profile defects, where extremely small deviations in the thickness of the web 104 manifest as nearly undetectable deviations in the surface profile.

[0053] In this embodiment, rather than outputting collimated light to further increase light intensity, light source 707 produces divergent light from a single small point source that spreads across at least a portion of web 104 in the cross-web direction perpendicular to the MD direction. Diffusion screen 710 provides a surface that operates to receive the light reflected from web 104 and distribute the light at a relatively uniform angle of reflection relative to the plane of the diffuser. As described, the light reflected from web 104 forms a shadowgraphic image on diffusion screen 710.

[0054] The following provides an example configuration of the imaging unit 708 of FIG. 7A for detecting MDL surface profile defects. Web speed = 60m / min Scanning (cross-web) speed = 0.6 m / min Camera acquisition = 1K lines / set Resolution: Cross web setting by camera capture = 100um / pixel, web speed and down web setting by camera capture = 1mm / line (a line is the size of a down web pixel)

[0055] In this exemplary configuration, the angle of the distortion lines in the film is 0 (direct downweb), but the angle of the distortion lines in the image data is arctan(1 / 10)=5.71 degrees. Thus, the imaging unit 708 and / or processing unit can be configured to filter the image data at that angle to extract the distortion lines with the highest signal to noise ratio (SNR).

[0056] FIG. 7B is an image showing an exemplary machine direction line (MDL) surface profile defect. The technology described herein allows for real-time detection of MDL defects during the manufacturing process at the line speed of the manufacturing line. Dashed line 718 represents the camera array of the imaging unit 708 translated in a scanning direction that coincides with the cross-web direction of the web 104. Given a known speed at which the imaging unit 708 is translated in the cross-web direction relative to the speed at which the web 104 is translated in the down-web direction, the processing unit calculates the imaging angle 720. As shown in image 407, the MD distortions 724 run in the image data at an angle equal to the imaging angle 720. Thus, the processing unit can be adjusted to process the image data according to the angle 720 to remove noise and separate such objects representing MDL defects from camera artifacts 726, which can be more easily identified as they do not run at the imaging angle but instead run in a direction perpendicular to the camera array 718.

[0057] Although described with respect to FIG. 7A as an example, other implementations and embodiments described herein, including the exemplary systems of FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, may be used to detect MDL defects.

[0058] 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example processing unit 800 in accordance with one or more example implementations and techniques described in this disclosure. Processing unit 800 may be one example or an alternative implementation of processing unit 120 of system 100 of FIG. 1. The architecture of processing unit 800 shown in FIG. 8 is shown for illustrative purposes only. Processing unit 800 should not be limited to the illustrated example architecture. In other examples, processing unit 800 may be configured in various ways.

[0059] Processing unit 800 may be implemented as any suitable computing system, such as one or more server computers, workstations, mainframes, appliances, cloud computing systems, and / or other computing systems that may be capable of performing the operations and / or functions described according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, processing unit 800 is electrically coupled to inspection system 105 of FIG. 1. In other embodiments, processing unit 800 represents a cloud computing system, a server farm, and / or a server cluster (or a portion thereof) configured to connect with system 100 via a wireless connection. In other embodiments, processing unit 800 may represent or be implemented by one or more virtualized compute instances (e.g., virtual machines, containers) of a data center, a cloud computing system, a server farm, and / or a server cluster. In some embodiments, processing unit 800 includes one or more computing devices, each of which has a memory and one or more processors.

[0060] As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 8, the processing unit 800 includes a processing circuit 802, one or more interfaces 804, and one or more storage units 806. The processing unit 800 also includes a defect detection unit 810, which may be implemented as program instructions and / or data stored in the storage unit 806 and executable by the processing circuit 802. The storage unit 806 of the processing unit 800 may also store an operating system (not shown) executable by the processing circuit 802 to control the operation of the components of the processing unit 800. The components, units, or modules of the processing unit 800 are coupled (physically, communicatively, and / or operatively) using a communication channel for inter-component communication. In some embodiments, the communication channel includes a system bus, a network connection, an inter-process communication data structure, or any other method of communicating data.

[0061] In one embodiment, processing circuitry 802 may include one or more processors configured to implement functions and / or process instructions for execution within processing unit 800. For example, processing circuitry 802 may be capable of processing instructions stored by storage unit 806. Processing circuitry 802 may include, for example, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or equivalent discrete or integrated logic circuits, or any combination of the foregoing devices or circuits.

[0062] The processing unit 800 may utilize the interface 804 to communicate with external systems over one or more networks. In some embodiments, the interface 804 includes an electrical interface (e.g., at least one of electrical conductors, transformers, resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc.) configured to electrically couple the processing unit 800 to the inspection system 105. In other embodiments, the interface 804 may be a network interface (e.g., an Ethernet interface, an optical transceiver, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth radio, etc.), a telephone interface, or any other type of device capable of transmitting and receiving information. In some embodiments, the processing unit 800 utilizes the interface 804 to wirelessly communicate with an external system, such as the inspection system 105 of FIG. 1.

[0063] The storage unit 806 may be configured to store information within the processing unit 800 during operation. The storage unit 806 may include a computer-readable storage medium or a computer-readable storage device. In some embodiments, the storage unit 806 includes one or more of a short-term memory or a long-term memory. The storage unit 806 may include, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a flash memory, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a flash memory, or a form of electrically programmable memory (EPROM) or electrically erasable and programmable memory (EEPROM). In some embodiments, the storage unit 806 is used to store program instructions for execution by the processing circuit 802. The storage unit 806 may be used by software or applications running on the processing unit 800 to temporarily store information during program execution.

[0064] In some embodiments, defect detection unit 810 is configured to automatically detect defects in one or more layers of a web, such as web 104. For example, defect detection unit 810 can detect whether web 104 includes a defect, as described above. In one embodiment, defect detection unit 810 detects that web 104 includes a defect and determines a location of the defect within web 104. In some embodiments, defect detection unit 810 determines a type of defect and / or a cause of the defect, as described above.

[0065] As described, processing unit 800 may perform one or more actions in response to determining that web 104 contains defects. In one embodiment, the action includes outputting a notification indicating that web 104 contains defects. In some cases, the notification also includes data indicating the type of defect, the cause of the defect, the location of the defect, the size of the defect, or a combination thereof.

[0066] In some examples, the action includes outputting a command to a manufacturing process, such as manufacturing process 102 in FIG. 1 , to pause or stop manufacturing the web 104. In another example, the action includes outputting a command to a manufacturing element of manufacturing process 102 to adjust a process parameter of the manufacturing process. In another example, the action includes generating a defect map or other data structure that identifies the location of any detected defects and can be used to control the conversion of the web into part components.

[0067] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating an example operation of a system 100 for detecting surface profile defects in a moving web, according to one or more techniques of the present disclosure. As seen in the example of FIG. 9, the manufacturing process 102 may first translate the web 104 along a down-web direction at a translational speed within a conveyor of the manufacturing process line relative to an inspection area (910). Next, the light source 107 may emit collimated light incident on a surface of the moving web 104, the light source being positioned and oriented relative to the conveyor to illuminate a portion of the web positioned within the inspection area (920). Next, a diffusing screen (e.g., diffusing screen 510) positioned and oriented orthogonal to the down-web direction of the conveyor may receive light reflected from the web 104 as it is translated through the inspection area, the light reflected from the web 104 forming an image on the diffusing screen, the image including image areas forming shadows of the surface profile defects of the web (930). A line scan camera (e.g., any of cameras 110, 512, 514) may then scan the diffuser screen to generate image data indicative of the image formed on the diffuser screen (940). A processor (e.g., a hardware-based processor in processing unit 120) may then process the image data to detect surface profile defects in the surface of the web (945).

[0068] In response to determining that the web 104 includes defects ("Yes" branch of 950), the processing unit 120 performs at least one action (960). In one embodiment, the action includes outputting a notification indicating that the web 104 includes defects. In some scenarios, the action includes outputting a command to adjust the manufacturing process 102. For example, the command may cause the manufacturing process 102 to pause or stop producing the web 104. In another embodiment, the command records the spatial location of the defects on the web 104 to control the conversion of the web 104 into a part component such that portions of the web 104 having defects are not included in the part component.

[0069] In response to determining that the web 104 does not contain defects (the "No" branch of 950), the inspection system 105 continues to automatically inspect the web 104 according to the techniques described herein.

[0070] The techniques described in this disclosure may be implemented at least in part in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. For example, various aspects of the described techniques may be implemented in one or more processors, including one or more microprocessors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs, or any other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuits, as well as any combination of such components. The term "processor" or "processing circuitry" may generally refer to any of the aforementioned logic circuits alone or in combination with other logic circuits, or other equivalent circuits. A control unit including hardware may also perform one or more techniques of the present disclosure.

[0071] Such hardware, software, and firmware may be implemented within the same device or within separate devices to support various operations and functions described in this disclosure. Furthermore, any of the described units, modules, or components may be realized together or separately as discrete but interoperable logical devices. The depiction of different features as modules or units is intended to highlight different functional aspects and does not necessarily imply that such modules or units must be realized by separate hardware or software components. Rather, functionality associated with one or more modules or units may be performed by separate hardware or software components or may be incorporated in common or separate hardware or software components.

[0072] The techniques described in this disclosure may also be embodied or encoded in a computer-readable medium, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium or computer-readable storage medium that includes instructions. The instructions embedded or encoded in the computer-readable medium may, for example, cause a programmable processor or other processor to perform a method when the instructions are executed. The computer-readable storage medium may include RAM, read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD-ROM, floppy disk, cassette, magnetic medium, optical medium, or other computer-readable medium. The term "computer-readable storage medium" refers to a physical storage medium, not a signal or carrier wave, although the term "computer-readable medium" may include transitory media, such as signals, in addition to physical storage media.

[0073] Various embodiments have been described. These and other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A system for detecting surface profile defects in a moving web, comprising: a conveyor configured to translate the web at a translational velocity along a downweb direction relative to an inspection area; a point light source configured to emit light, the point light source positioned and oriented relative to the conveyor to illuminate a portion of the web disposed within the inspection area; a diffusing screen positioned and oriented relative to the conveyor to receive the light reflected from the web as the web is translated through the inspection area; an image capture device configured to capture image data indicative of an image formed on the diffusive screen; a computing device configured to identify surface profile defects in a surface of the web based on the image data and output data indicative of relative locations of the defects within the web; A system comprising:

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to detect surface profile defects in which the surface of the web deviates from a direction normal to the surface by at least a threshold angular amount.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the threshold angular amount comprises a deviation of at least about 0.5 degrees.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the threshold variation in the defect comprises a deviation of at least about 0.05 degrees.

5. the surface of the web is configured to conform to a surface pattern; the computing device is further configured to analyze the image data to generate quantitative information describing a texture of the surface; the computing device is configured to detect the surface profile defects as areas where the surface of the web deviates from the surface pattern by at least a threshold amount based on the quantitative information. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The system of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the image capture device comprises a line scan camera defining a scanning array oriented perpendicular to the downweb direction.

7. The system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the light from the point light source comprises divergent light.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising one or more optical elements for controlling an emitted light angle ranging from completely divergent to slightly convergent.

9. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the point light sources include light emitting diodes (LEDs) or spotlights configured to output collimated light at a cross-web region of the web having a width of at least 1 meter.

10. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the image capture device is configured to capture the image data at a resolution higher than a scale associated with image distortion resulting from vibrational motion of the system.

11. The system of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the diffusive screen comprises a diffuse reflective screen oriented to reflect the collimated light towards the image capture device.

12. The system of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the diffusing screen comprises a diffusing light transmitting screen.

13. the point light source, the diffusion screen, and the image capture device form one of a plurality of imaging units, each of the imaging units comprising a point light source positioned to illuminate a cross-web portion of the surface of the web with collimated light, a diffusion screen positioned to receive the collimated light reflected from the web, and a line scanner camera positioned to image the diffusion screen; the imaging units are arranged in a plurality of rows across the web; the plurality of imaging units are staggered in a cross-web direction such that each of the diffusion screens collects collimated light from a different cross-web portion of the web to form an alternating pattern. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the alternating pattern comprises a first row of point light sources, diffusion screens, and image capture devices and a second row of point light sources, diffusion screens, and image capture devices, the point light sources, diffusion screens, and image capture devices of the first row being oriented 180 degrees opposite to the point light sources, diffusion screens, and image capture devices of the second row.

15. The system of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the computing device comprises a machine learning model trained to identify the defects in the web based on the image data.

16. The system of any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the web comprises a polyester film, an optical film, or a protective automotive paint film.

17. The system of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the translational speed of the web during inspection comprises from about 10 ft / min to about 1000 ft / min.

18. the surface profile defects of the web include machine direction line (MDL) defects generally parallel to the downweb direction; the MDL defect has a variation in thickness of the web in the range of 10 to 1000 nanometers; A system according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. a frame for translating the image capture device in a cross-web direction while the web is translated in the down-web direction; the computing device comprising: determining an imaging angle based on a rate at which the scanner is translated and a rate at which the web is translated; identifying defects in the image data that are substantially parallel to the imaging angle; and configuring the device to identify the MDL defect by 20. The system of claim 18.

20. 1. A method for detecting surface profile defects in a moving web, comprising: translating the web along a downweb direction within a conveyor of the manufacturing process line relative to an inspection area at a translational velocity; emitting light incident on a surface of the moving web with a point light source positioned and oriented relative to the conveyor so as to illuminate a portion of the web disposed within the inspection area; receiving the light reflected from the web with a diffusing screen positioned and oriented perpendicular to the downweb direction of the conveyor, forming an image on the diffusing screen indicative of shadows of surface profile defects of the web as the web is translated through the inspection area; generating image data indicative of the image formed on the diffusing screen using a line scanner image capture device; processing the image data with a processor to detect the surface profile defects on a surface of the web; A method comprising:

21. 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising outputting, with the processor, data indicative of a relative location of the defects within the web.

22. 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting the light emitted by the point light source through an optical element to collimate the light for illuminating the portion of the web.

Images