Real-time optical detection system for monitoring roller condition with automatic error compensation

•Proposed an on-site real-time detection system for monitoring roller condition by using a novel fiber-optic sensor.•Designed the mounting mechanism, which can make the sensing probe scan the roller's surface along the radial direction automatically controlled by a distance controlling part.•Eliminated the common errors, which frequently arose in the roller detection system and reduced the detection precision.

According to the characteristics and the demand of the detection accuracy, an optical detection scheme for monitoring roller condition was proposed and experimentally demonstrated. By analyzing the principle and setting up the mathematical model, a real-time optical detection system is presented in this paper. Moreover error compensation methods of the optical detection part, installation and movement of the detection device, and eccentricity, roundness and rotary movement of the working roller have been adopted in order to ensure the detection process in atrocious condition and to examine roller's shape precisely in real-time. A series of experiments were performed to verify the validity and practical applicability of the detection system. It provides a new method for high speed, accurate and automatic real-time detection for roller condition.