System for monitoring a continuous manufacturing process

A monitoring system for monitoring the manufacture of a continuous web of paper having one or more pre-determined characteristics in a paper manufacturing machine comprising:

• a plurality of monitoring means which comprises one or more video cameras for monitoring the paper web, each monitoring means addressing the paper web at a different location of interest along the paper manufacturing machine and for producing a video image of the paper web at the location;
• digital converting means for converting the video image into a digitized video signal;
• digital data storage means for receiving said digitized video signal and storing digitized segments thereof, each of which comprises a plurality of digitized clips, said digitized segments and clips of a predetermined length covering real time operation of said machine, said digitized segments being stored such that earlier prior stored digitized data in said segment is removed as new digitized data is stored in said segment to maintain said stored segment at or about said predetermined length;
• computer control means for controlling the operations of said monitoring system, said means in communication with said digital data storage means, said computer control means in communication with a distributive control system for controlling said machine, said control system having one or more deviation detectors for detecting deviations from predetermined characteristics as said paper web passes through said machine;
• and
• one or more video monitors in communication with said computer control means and for displaying the image of digitized video signals under the control of said computer control means;
• wherein an occurrence of a deviation from the predetermined characteristics of said web, said distributive control system transmits a deviation signal comprising the time, date and location of said deviation event to said computer control means, and in response thereto said computer control means identifying the digitized data segment corresponding to said deviation event, extracting the deviation event clip, the preceding clip preceding said break event clip to form a display clip and displaying said display clip on a video monitor.