Material measurement system for obtaining coincident properties and related method

A controlled system for forming sheet material, comprising:

• a sheet material making system including a plurality of actuators;
• a control system operatively coupled to said sheet material making system comprising a THz generator including at least one laser source for emitting optical pulses, said optical pulses coupled to a THz emitter operable for emitting pulsed THz radiation at a first sample location on sheet material being processed by said material masking system, a receiver operable to receive said optical pulses and to detect reflected or transmitted THz radiation from said first sample location synchronously with said optical pulses and provide electrical detection signals, synchronizing optics operable to receive said optical pulses from said laser and provide said optical pulses to both said receiver and said THz emitter, and a controller comprising at least one processor for receiving said electrical detection signals and providing a processed electrical detection signal, and an analyzer operable to determine a plurality of different sheet material properties selected from the group consisting of basis weight, moisture content, thickness, composition and fiber orientation at said first sample location from said processed electrical detection signal,
• wherein said controller is operably linked to control operation of said sheet material making system using at least one of said plurality of actuators based on at least one of said plurality of different sheet material properties.

A method for in-situ quality control of sheet material processed by a manufacturing system, comprising the steps of:

• directing THz radiation at a first sample location on material being processed by said manufacturing system;
• measuring reflected radiation or transmitted radiation from said first sample location and generating electrical detection signals therefrom;
• transmitting said electrical detection signals to a remotely located controller comprising at least one processor for receiving said electrical detection signals and providing a processed electrical detection signal;
• determining a plurality of different sheet material properties selected from the group consisting of basis weight, moisture content, thickness, composition and fiber orientation at said first sample location from said processed electrical detection signal, and
• automatically modifying at least one process parameter based on at least one of said plurality of different sheet material properties.