LabVIEW System for a Flat Glass Optical Distortion Analyzer

Project Description: The challenge was to replace an existing flat glass distortion analysis system, that was time and labor intensive to operate and required high maintenance, with an automated system which performs the data acquisition and analysis tasks with greater accuracy, repeatability, and efficiency. In glass manufacturing, two aspects of the analysis of the distortion in flat glass are important. Expedient and accurate measurements are required for routine determinations of conformance to quality specifications. And, in the event that excessive distortion is found, it is essential to ascertain the most likely causes of the distortion in the manufacturing process. Although these objectives were being met using the existing manual system, numerous hardware problems and labor-intensive operational requirements resulted in the loss of efficiency and reliability of the system. Data Science Automation, Inc. (DSA) replaced an existing manual analysis system with a LabVIEW-based system that exploits state-of-the-art computer-based instrumentation techniques for improved performance, greater reliability, and reduced maintenance. DSA’s flat glass distortion processing system offers expedient and accurate data acquisition, extensive data analysis including the Joint Time-Frequency Analysis (JTFA), flexible trending, full database archiving capability, and comprehensive reporting features combined with an intuitive user interface.