Alcan International Limited

Alcan Aluminum Corporation

Otto Meijer

Matthew J Fairlie

Jeff Ballyns

Warren Fraser

David Smith

Herbert R Powers

Apparatus and method for inspecting surface quality of a moving sheet of metal illuminates a surface of the moving sheet by the use of at least two lamps. The region which is illuminated by the lamps is inspected by a sensing device. The angle of incidence for the light beams from the lamps are from the near and dark fields. The sensing device picks up highlighted or brightened portions of the sheet due to surface irregularities. By use of a multiplicity of lamps and a single sensing device, such as a video recorder, an inexpensive yet very sensitive system is provided for detecting irregularities in the surface of the moving sheet. The system may be observed by an operator to determine locations of irregularities and as well the system may be adapted to document locations on the moving sheet where the irregularities occur.

Illumination system with incident beams from near and far dark field for

A method of detecting spray header valve and nozzle malfunctions, in a spray header including plural nozzles each having its own control valve, by supplying the spray header with liquid at a constant pressure head through a conduit while opening and closing the nozzle valves one at a time, and measuring the flow rate through the conduit each time one of the valves is open and when all the valves are closed. In response to detection of a malfunction at a particular nozzle, the valves of one or more adjacent nozzles are adjusted so that the adjacent-nozzle flow rates compensate for the malfunction, for example to maintain a desired cooling pattern across a surface being cooled by the spray header notwithstanding the malfunction at the particular nozzle.

Methods of detecting and correcting spray header malfunctions

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Fulton, NY, United States of America

Otto Meijer