NDC SYSTEMS

USER’S MANUAL ADDENDUM

GAP EXCLUSION

for NDC Model 8400 Systems

09/17/96

Revised: 03/04/98
 GAP EXCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

The Gap Exclusion feature allows the 8000 system to exclude relatively small uncoated areas in
the machine direction of the sheet. In an excluded area, the last good reading is used instead.

The system will thereby ignore areas below a user set threshold, including an area before and
after the low reading that is defined by a user-entered “ beam width” .

When used on a process that coats a substrate, with gaps between coatings in the machine
direction (Figure 1), the Gap Exclusion feature will exclude the gaps from the profiles. The area
of the gap will be bridged from the last good reading to the next good reading. This occurs
before the moving average is applied, so is almost seamless.

Coating

Machine Uncoated Area

Direction

Figure 1 – Coating is applied on substrate, with gaps in-between

THEORY

For a period one beam width before to one beam width after the readings cross the threshold,
actual readings are replaced by a bridge of readings (Figure 2).

Threshold

beam width
(machine direction)

gauge readings used

actual gauge readings

Figure 2 – Substituting of actual gauge readings

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SET UP

Gap Exclusion settings are found on the second page of the MACHINE SET-UP menu
(Figure 3):
SET-UP ➙ SITE MENU ➙ MACHINE ➙ ->>-

-EXIT- MACHINE SET-UP ->>-

GAGE BEAM
GAP EXCLUSION WIDTH (IN)
GAGE1. . . . OFF ON 0.25

GAGE2. . . . OFF ON 0.25

PAGE 2 OF 2
Figure 3 - MACHINE SET-UP menu, Page 2

o GAP EXCLUSION ON/OFF

This toggle turns Gap Exclusion ON and OFF individually for each gauge.

Gap Exclusion is On when:

é the toggle is ON.

é the system has completed startup (approximately 30 seconds).
é the system is on sheet.
é the system is in a data collection mode (such as scanning).

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o BEAM WIDTH

This sets the value used for machine direction beam width in inches or centimeters, as indicated
on the column heading. A full beam width is excluded before and after the low readings, in the
machine direction.

This value will likely vary, depending on how noisy the process is and the setting of the
threshold. A threshold set nearer to the target (with a less noisy process) would allow a smaller
value to be entered for beam width and exclude less product.

THRESHOLD

The threshold used for Gap Exclusion is available on the PROCESS page for each gauge
(Figure 4).

GAGE2 PROCESS DATA ->>-

OFF ON

RECIPE NAME . . . NDC HI ALARM (%) . 10.0 SPEC GRAVITY. . . . 1.0

TARGET . . . . . . . . 6.75 HI ALERT (%) . . 5.0

GAGE FACTOR . . 1.0 LO ALERT (%) . -5.0

GAGE CONSTANT 0 LO ALARM (%) . -10.0 PATTERN DELTA(%) -5.0

PAGE 1 OF 2
Figure 4 - PROCESS page

This button is in the lower right hand corner of the process page, labeled PATTERN DELTA.
This is always a negative number, reflecting an offset from the process TARGET. The units are
either numeric (#) or percent (%), matching the grid setting.

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Examples

1. Numeric

TARGET = 90
PATTERN DELTA (#) = -5
Threshold = 90 - 5 = 85

Readings less than or equal to 85 would be considered low and would be excluded, along
with a “ beam width” before and after in the machine direction.

2. Percent

TARGET = 100
PATTERN DELTA (%) = -5
Threshold = 100 - (.05 X 100) = 95

Readings less than or equal to 95 would be considered low.

OPEN ACCESS

Gap Exclusion variables are available through Open Access (all machine direction qualified).

Value of offset from Process Page 2123

Toggle Off/On 2127
Beam Width 2128

NOTES

Note that Gap Exclusion will defeat the sheet break checking, by substituting values for low
readings.

Detection of missing gauges (Gauge Alarm) is not available with Gap Exclusion.

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