Scanner TK-12

A number of scanners and lamps are spaced evenly across the product web. The product runs between scanner and lamp. The structure of the passing weft threads and courses modulates the light intensity measured by the scanners. The structures repeat regularly creating bright-dark patterns. These patterns generate a modulated signal in the scanner’s receiver system.

A centrally-pivoted, cylindrical lens in the scanner oscillates to a specific angle in relation to the desired direction of the weft thread. When the lens is parallel with the weft thread, signal modulation is at its maximum. It then decreases as the oscillating lens progressively cuts across the weft line.

Interfering signals not agreeing with  the frequency of weft threads, courses or rows of tufting are filtered digitally. Only signals relevant to distortion are analysed and the web distortion is calculated automatically and precisely from this.

By using a lamp with infrared LEDs, the light shining onto each scanner can be controlled automatically and individually. The lamps have a longer working life and consume far less energy; two further attributes of the LED technology.

If  textiles barely allow light to shine through them, or their surface texture has distinguishable characteristics, better results can be obtained using reflected light rather than transmitted light. The scanners are therefore equipped with  integrated infrared sided light with automatic intensity control. It can be activated instead of the lamps for transmitted light.