CSIRO laser device helps sheep farmers

17 Jun 2002

Sheep shearers in Australia will be able to measure the fiber diameter of their wool with a portable laser-based device developed at CSIRO Textile and Fibre Technology Division, of Belmont, Victoria.

The device, known as Laserscan, allows woolgrowers to measure wool diameters of between 13 and 16 micrometres for about 100 fleeces per hour, keeping pace with up to six shearers. It also measures diameter distribution and curvature of wool. These on-site measurements in real-time should improve flock management and lead to more informed breeding decisions.

Bill Aspros, the project leader for CSIRO, said that the system includes a HeNe continuous laser emitting at 638 nanometres fed through a pinhole aperture. A system of optical fibers and computer algorithms analyzes the amount of diffraction caused by that pinhole and determines the bend image of the sample.

CSIRO previously patented this process and the device has been in use for certificate wool testing for several years in the laboratory. The latest device has been modified so that it can be taken into the pasture. "We've figured a way of conditioning the instrument and controlling its temperature so it can be used outside the conditioned lab," explained Tim Head, the Commercial Operations Manager of the Textile and Fibre Technology Division.

Laserscan is part of the Sirolan Fleecescan System, developed in collaboration with The Woolmark Company. The system also consists of an automatic fleece corer-washer unit. So far CSIRO has sold two Fleecescan units and is manufacturing others. The total unit costs about AUD 95,000 (about USD 60,000).

JN