System and method for determining facer surface smoothness
AssigneeUnited States Gypsum Company
InventorsJenner Omodt, Alfred C. Li, Michael P. Shake, Weixin D. Song
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of a system and a method for determining a surface smoothness of a facing specimen can be used in connection with the manufacture of products, including cementitious products such as gypsum wallboard, for example. Such systems and methods can be used to generate a composite smoothness factor based upon a measured mottle value and topography value using stochastic frequency distribution analysis.
Claims19
A system for determining a surface smoothness of a facer surface of a facing specimen, the system comprising:
- a digital imaging device, the digital imaging device configured to generate a digital image of the facing specimen, the digital imaging device including a housing, a transparent panel, and at least one image sensor, the housing defining a scanning area, the transparent panel being mounted to the housing over the scanning area, and each of said at least one image sensor being configured to generate digital image data relating to the facer surface placed upon the transparent panel for generating the digital image;
- a non-transitory, computer-readable medium, the non-transitory, computer-readable medium bearing a surface analyzing application;
- and
- a surface analyzing processor, the surface analyzing processor being in operable arrangement with the digital imaging device to receive the digital image therefrom and being in operable arrangement with the non-transitory, computer-readable medium to execute the surface analyzing application;
- wherein the surface analyzing application includes a mottle computational module configured to determine a mottle value for the facer surface based upon the digital image, a topography computational module configured to determine a topography value for the facer surface based upon the digital image, and a composite smoothness computational module configured to determine a composite smoothness value based upon the mottle value and the topography value for the facer surface, and a graphical user interface module configured to receive input from a user and to display output from the surface analyzing application;
- a display device, the display device operably arranged with the processor to display the graphical user interface.
A method of determining a surface smoothness of a facing specimen, the method comprising:
- placing the facing specimen upon a transparent panel of a digital imaging device such that a facer surface of the facing specimen is disposed over a scanning area of the digital imaging device;
- operating the digital imaging device to generate a digital image of the facer surface of the facing specimen;
- transmitting the digital image to a surface analyzing processor;
- using the surface analyzing processor to execute a surface analyzing application stored upon a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the surface analyzing application:
- determining a mottle value for the facer surface based upon the digital image,
- determining a topography value for the facer surface based upon the digital image, and
- determining a composite smoothness value based upon the mottle value and the topography value for the facer surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.