A New Approach to Rubberized Cord Surface Structure Identification Based on High-Resolution Laser Scanning and Multiresolution Signal Processing

Steel and textile cord coating is one of the key rubber processing technologies in tiremaking industry. It is carried out on calendering lines where thickness variation across the sheet profile and downstream is very difficult to fulfill. Recent development of optoelectronics and derived sensory systems has enabled the replacement of traditional radioactive systems for measurement of calendered rubber thickness at calendaring lines by laser proximeters. Besides absolute work safety, laser proximeters have extreme accuracy, high sampling rate and small spatial resolution. These properties enable development of measuring systems, which besides thickness measurement enable lateral section scanning thus giving information on scanned profile roughness, overall waviness and texture. Information about profile waviness and texture can be used for identification of calendaring process parameters, which enable real-time control and optimization of this process. This paper gives a new conceptual approach for identification of surface structure calendaring process parameters based on multiresolution analysis of scanned lateral profile of rubberized cord.