Improving quality in consumer products
The ASSYST project aimed to improve product quality and process control in manufacturing activities using advanced laser spectroscopy techniques. On the basis of tuneable diode near infrared lasers, project partners developed novel optical sensors whose monitoring potential was extensively explored. Near Infra-Red -Diode Laser Spectroscopy (NIR-DLS) shows several advantages, such as high sensitivity and spatial resolution as well as capabilities for easy integration. These features make it highly suitable for non-invasive, in-situ applications and unique in monitoring reactive or corrosive gases. Within the project scope five sensor applications were demonstrated, one of which was an in-situ process quality improvement in a factory of consumer products. The developed lab-scale equipment involved, apart from the dedicated NIR-DLS unit, a multi-pass optical cell and a set-up to test the instrument's performance under varied pressure and concentration conditions. The key aim was to explore the feasibility of non-destructive measurement of gas phase compositions at the parts-per-million (ppm) level inside glass enclosures. The feasibility of the developed lab equipment was successfully demonstrated. Furthermore, studies on the performance and process details were completed in order to improve the efficiency and reliability of the demonstrator.
