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Experience Report from the Wood Processing Sector

Burkhard PlinkeBurkhard Plinke, Project Manager for Image Processing and Spectroscopy at the Fraunhofer WKI, about the cooperation with inno-spec:

The challenge which inno-spec tackled in the wood processing sector was brought to the team’s attention by the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research: The task focuses on measuring the adhesive application on the so-called strands for the production of OSB boards (oriented strand boards). Accurate measuring of such adhesive amounts was hitherto impossible – the problem could only be successfully solved by means of a space-resolved spectroscopy solution in the NIR range.

Which problem did you turn to inno-spec for?

“We are dealing with imaging spectroscopy procedures for the analysis of material and bulk material flows, for example in order to optimize the production of wood-based boards or to develop new recycling methods for scrap wood. As we do not represent a camera developer, but a user, we were looking for suitable sensor technology to detect a reflection spectrum in the near-infrared range for each pixel on a moved surface and then further process this spectrum.”

What was the special challenge in this project?

“The challenge lay in the high data rates in the range of approximately 100 scans per second as well as in a spectral range ideally from 1000 nm to over 2000 nm in order to »see« the substances relevant for us (e.g. adhesives and plastics).. Of course, all this must be attained at a reasonable price. Moreover, easy programming inside as well as outside the camera as well as openness for advancements in camera technology, e.g. with extended spectral ranges, represented decisive aspects.”

How was the problem solved?

“The “RedEye” camera by inno-spec perfectly meets our requirements. At the moment, the hyper spectral data are still classified “offline” with the usual method of chemometrics (e.g. PCA, PLS). Our perspective focuses on the realization of imaging online process analysis as well as on the advancement of classification procedures and their utilization in sorting technology.”

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