Raised Fiber Inspection for Sanitary Web Surface Quality

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing manufacturing process for cleaning sheets fails to effectively inspect the raised fiber state of web members, leading to reduced scraping effectiveness and user complaints due to fiber parts sticking to brush rollers, resulting in insufficient raised fiber states being shipped.

Innovation Solution

A device and method utilizing image capturing and binarization processing to inspect the raised fiber state of cleaning sheets by capturing images, creating planar image data, and performing binarization to assess the size and quality of new exposed parts, allowing for quality judgment of the raised fiber state.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If brush rollers are used for a long period of time to create raised fiber state, then the cleaning sheet production continues, but the fibrous parts stick to the brush roller tips reducing the raised fiber effect

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebrush roller service lifeVSAvoidraised fiber effect quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The inspection device is positioned before the cutting process to detect raised fiber state deficiencies before they result in defective shipped products. This preliminary detection allows for timely intervention to maintain quality standards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The inspection device provides real-time feedback on the raised fiber state of cleaning sheets, enabling monitoring of brush roller performance degradation and triggering maintenance actions when quality thresholds are not met.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If inspection of raised fiber state is implemented, then quality control improves, but no inspection device or method was previously available for this purpose

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality control of raised fiber stateVSAvoidinspection system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The inspection device replaces manual visual inspection with an automated image capture and processing system. The use of imaging technology and automated analysis reduces human labor while providing consistent, objective quality assessment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The inspection device creates an optical copy (image) of the cleaning sheet surface to analyze the raised fiber state. This copying approach allows for non-contact inspection and digital processing of quality parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Productivity

If cleaning sheets with insufficient raised fiber state are shipped, then production efficiency is maintained, but scraping effectiveness is reduced leading to user complaints

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning sheet production rateVSAvoidscraping effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The inspection is performed before the cutting and shipping processes, enabling early detection of quality issues. This prevents defective products from entering the shipping pipeline, maintaining both quality standards and production efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The inspection system provides feedback on raised fiber quality, enabling real-time monitoring and control. This ensures that only cleaning sheets meeting the required quality thresholds are shipped, maintaining scraping effectiveness while preserving production throughput.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution enables accurate inspection of the raised fiber state, preventing the shipment of cleaning sheets with insufficient fiber states, thereby maintaining the original scraping effectiveness and reducing user complaints.

Implementation Method 1

an image capturing processing part that captures an image of the one face and creates as a planar image data

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectImage capturing: Photography

Data Source

PatentEP2757347B1Device and method for inspecting raised-strand state in web member of sanitary article
Publication Date: 2016.10.26 UNI CHARM CORP
  • EP2757347B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP2757347B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP2757347B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A device for inspecting a raised fiber state of a web member of a sanitary article, the web member having, on at least one face, fiber raisable parts that come off from the one face in a predetermined dispersed arrangement pattern, new exposed parts being created on the one face when the fiber raisable parts come off to be raised, wherein the inspection device includes an image capturing processing part that captures an image of the one face and creates as a planar image data, a data of a planar image of the one face,a binarization processing part that performs, when creating a binarized image based on the planar image data, a binarization process so that areas in which images of the new exposed parts in the planar image are captured, are included in an image specified by one value of two values in the binarized image, and a quality judgment processing part that performs quality judgment of the raised fiber state based on a value indicating a size of the image.