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17 Jun 2002
A three-year European Union project has generated a vision system that remotely monitors the viscosity of paint without exposing employees to the potentially explosive atmosphere during manufacture.
The UK's BHR Group, an engineering research group, developed the optical system to monitor how well paint has been mixed by the NIMIX technique. Instead of stirring, the NIMIX method uses a diaphragm to move the paint up and down in order to distribute the components evenly. This produces a bell-shaped lump in the centre of the mixing vessel, and the shape of the lump is related to the viscosity of the paint and how well it has been mixed.
The engineers study the shape of the paint surface by observing reflected laser light and comparing the results with those predicted from computational fluid dynamics models.
At the moment quality control of the manufacturing process is carried out manually but the environment is highly explosive. This new optical system allows continuous, automated monitoring of the paint properties.
Paint manufacturers have shown interest in the technique and the group is now looking for investors to help to develop commercial applications.
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