New wool width measurement

Press, 20 September 1985, Page 10

New wool width measurement

A New Zealand method of measuring wool fibre diameter could soon become internationally accepted.

“Image analysis” is the result of development, by the Lincoln-based Wool Research Organisation of the basic “projection microscope” method.

The projection microscope method requires two people for up to four hours to measure enough fibre to give sufficient accuracy.

W.R.O.N.Z. work towards the automation of the process has resulted in Dr Allan Edmonds liaising between the Australian Wool Testing Authority and a company producing the first commercial analyser. The authority has operated a prototype analyser for eight months enabling one person to measure 5000 fibres every two minutes. The commercial model will cost about $50,000, but the speed and accuracy will justify the cost over the present method.

Dr Edmonds will be involved in final development work on the instrument and will set up an evaluation to provide a

draft for an international standard.

“Our research programme began in 1967, and some eight years later we developed an instrument called a fibre diameter video analyser,” he said.

A closed circuit television camera converts the microscopic image into electrical impulses, which are measured electronically to determine the characteristics of each fibre.

The method was used by W.R.O.N.Z. but not completely developed because of other research commitments.

At the 1981 International Textile Conference Dr Edmonds raised the concept of image analysis by video analyser. The Australian Wool Testing Authority took the idea up two years later. He has been kept up to date with the development programme and called on regularly for advice following his work in New Zealand.

The authority has undertaken to make the equipment available to New Zealand testing laboratories as soon as commercial production is wnder way. •'