QUALITY-CONTROL IN PAPERMAKING NOW PART OF TOTAL AUTOMATION

The first computer-based quality control systems went on the market in the early 1970s. In terms of software, these systems were so complicated that data processing experts were required whenever modifications were made. The first steps towards an integrated system were taken in the mid-1980s with the merging of the user interfaces in quality control and automation systems. This gave rise to the concept of the 'single window'. This was joined in the early 1990s by another concept-that of 'integrated quality control'. The difference between these two concepts is still somewhat obscure, and each means different things in different situations and to different users. So much so that they are frequently regarded as being synonymous. In its most advanced form, integrated quality control means that the quality control application, too, has been designed using the automation system's tools and equipment, according to Matti Pulkkinen, Marketing Manager at Ahlstrom Automation. From the user's point of view, this means that quality measurements are similar to all other process measurements. "Application development and modifications are based on simple tools, and help from software experts is no longer required", claims Pulkkinen (article on page 280).