The major challenges require comprehensive management strategies – and definitely automated fabric inspection. In the classic fabric production process, manual inspection and lab testing are time consuming operations which need to be optimised with automated solutions. Adding automation to the process will reduce production costs and satisfy customers by delivering 100 per cent inspected fabrics. The advantages of data generated at automated fabric inspection bring the added benefit of helping customers to prepare for the future. The Uster EVS Fabriq Vision is an excellent example for proof.

Fabric producers need to guarantee reliable quality. This requires a consistently high rate of defect detection. Uster EVS Fabriq Vision ensures this is achieved by using automated control during intermediate and final inspection, removing the need for costly manual inspection. The system’s ability to capture any visible defects allows fabric yield to be optimised and prevents claims, the company said in a press release.

Real-time process monitoring detects, records and locates all defects in every roll of fabric. Fabriq Vision is able to capture any visible defect, at line running speeds. It can be used in a variety of positions on most manufacturers’ machines. Inspection is objective, accurate and consistent. The automatically generated defect map serves as the basis of improved fabric quality which leads to maximum fabric yield for various applications.

The key to consistent quality is the optimised grading efficiency. Uster EVS Fabriq Vision provides real-time alerts for operators, showing all defects and automatically creating roll inspection charts. All detected faults are collected in an album for review. Here the operator can quickly mark faults and select those which can be deleted. Users can set their own quality standards for different types of fabric and increase the efficiency of the grading process.

Multiple spectroscopes inspect the material and unique algorithms identify all defects automatically, recording them in a dataset for each produced roll. The Album Software ensures optimum inspection efficiency and throughput. Classification using artificial intelligence will become available for more applications to speed up the reviewing process. Uster Fabric Inspection solutions bring the added benefit of helping customers to prepare for a digital future, the release added.

Uster Fabriq Expert is the real-time quality analysis system providing fully-customisable quality analysis tools. Information on process and product quality, based on data from each fabric roll inspected with the Fabriq Vision or another Uster fabric inspection system are well displayed on the PC screen. Uster Fabriq Expert helps managers and operators to optimise product and process quality, without the need for an additional quality reporting routine.

Thanks to Fabriq Expert, process-related quality problems can be eliminated by immediate reactions and suitable corrective measures. Fabriq Expert provides real-time quality statistics, which can be used to identify root causes and main problem areas. Customisable quality analysis tools such as pareto charts, histograms and pie charts make it very easy to recognise problem ’hot spots’ and take the right corrective actions, the release added.

After final inspection, fabric will often be cut into smaller rolls, which will then be delivered to various customers. Optimised cut control (OCC system) provides a tool for automated cut optimisation, as well as additional components which can be installed on any existing debatching or cutting line.

Upgraded process efficiency comes with clever software. The cut optimisation software automatically identifies the correct cutting position to achieve maximum fabric yield according to quality requirements. Invisible synchronisation marks are – also automatically – applied and indicate the position of defects and cut positions in a roll, so these are always under control, allowing the cutting table to run at maximum possible speed for maximised fabric yield.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)