Precise measurement of surface weight

MATCONTROL systems measure the basis weight of your mat products directly during the process – contact-free, high-resolution and in real time. This allows you to detect fluctuations early on, make targeted adjustments and save material, energy and costs – regardless of where you measure.

Your added value with GreCon MATCONTROL

Inline and precise measurement of basis weight
Visualisation of material distribution across and along the web
Early detection of faults and deviations
More sustainable use of resources through targeted control
Real-time data for analysis, reporting and quality assurance
Reduction of rejects, grinding allowances and customer complaints
Detection of foreign objects (HF)
Greater transparency – from the very first gram

GreCon MATCONTROL T product against a grey-white background. — *GreCon MATCONTROL T Stationary inline basis weight measurement using X-ray technology*

Making surface weight visible – for consistent quality

Wherever material is distributed, variations automatically occur. If you don't recognise these, adjustments are made based on gut feeling – resulting in high levels of waste, high costs and uncertain processes. MATCONTROL reveals what other systems overlook – and helps you take targeted countermeasures.

Which system is right for your line?

The MATCONTROL family consists of three variants for different applications:

System	Besonderheit	Typische Position im Prozess
HF	Full-surface high-resolution measurement, also detects foreign objects	Before the press
T	Stationary in the dosing area – for targeted control	In the forming line
C	Traversing or stationary – flexible use	After forming or prepress

Full-surface real-time measurement with millions of measuring points per minute
Early warning system for foreign objects such as metal, glue lumps or stones
Reliable detection of local density deviations
Data feedback to laboratory values – for absolute transparency
Ideal for preventing belt damage and process disruptions
Typical application: Directly in front of the press – for 100% control over the material belt.

Can be used directly in the forming line, even in multiple layers (top/core layer)
Inline measurement of basis weight with direct control option
Detection of systematic deviations through stationary measurement
Compact design – easy to integrate into existing lines
Optimises material and energy use right from the start
Typical application: In the dosing zone – for fast reactions and stable processes.

Traversing or stationary measurement after the former or prepress
Visualisation of longitudinal and transverse profiles in live operation
Automatic calibration, insensitive to dirt and temperature fluctuations
Variable traversing speed – adaptable to your line layout
Ideal for differentiated process analyses and recipe changes
Typical application: After forming or in the MDF process – for targeted control at the end of the spread.

Industry solutions

Wood-based materials industry
Insulation materials industry
Gypsum
Nonwovens
Plastics
Rubber

The difference in the process

Before: Unreliable samples, gut feeling, manual corrections

After: Reproducible quality, controlled processes, informed decisions

GreCon MATCONTROL HF – basis weight measurement and foreign object detection using high-resolution full-surface scanning

Using full-surface, high-resolution X-ray technology, MATCONTROL HF analyses material distribution in real time – detecting foreign objects, fluctuations and errors before they become a problem.

Scan, evaluate, protect

Uniform material distribution and subsequent shaping are standard production steps used in numerous industries, such as the wood-based materials and mineral wool industries.

To ensure uniform distribution, precise control of the continuously flowing material stream is required. Meaningful measurements are a decisive factor here, determining not only the quality of the end product, but also potential costs such as complaints, costly plant damage or material waste.

The best way to detect irregularities and deviations is to measure the surface weight with GreCon MATCONTROL HF. The mat scanner is the first system on the market to measure the entire surface area. This means that MATCONTROL HF not only determines the distribution of the measured material across the entire surface, but also in high resolution.

This results in a further advantage: thanks to its full-area measurement, MATCONTROL HF reliably detects foreign objects, material defects or voids.

GreCon MATCONTROL installed in a production line, including monitor for the software — *Thanks to flexible software, users have direct access to measurement data for an up-to-date overview of the production process.*

Area weight measurement – Continuous scanning of the material strand

Unlike comparable systems, which measure material flows transversely and can therefore only map a partial area, MATCONTROL HF scans the material strand in high resolution and over its entire surface. This allows even the smallest differences in basis weight distribution to be detected – even at high production speeds. This gives producers a clear picture of how the material is distributed both transversely and longitudinally in the ongoing process.

Your advantages:

High-resolution scans: Detect even the smallest deviations in basis weight distribution.
Full-surface analysis: Provides a detailed picture of material distribution – both lengthwise and crosswise.
Precise process control: Targeted analyses and adjustments through recipe-specific comparisons of target and actual values.
Optimised product quality: Consistently high product quality through corrective measures.
Efficient use of resources: Supports the optimised use of materials and energy – reduces costs.
Flexible software: Direct access to measurement data for an up-to-date overview of the production process.
Long-term evaluations: Graphical representation of how changes in production affect the process.

MATCONTROL T installed as a traversing model above a production line

Cross-sectional measurement

Traversing measuring systems scan a specific area of the continuous strand and use this to determine average values. Foreign object detection is not possible here.

Full-surface measurement

MATCONTROL HF erfasst das Messgut flächendeckend. Es entsteht ein vollflächiges Bild, das die Längs- und Querverteilung des Materials abbildet.MATCONTROL HF captures the entire surface of the material being measured. This produces a full-surface image that shows the longitudinal and transverse distribution of the material.

Measurement value check by means of sample cutting

Measured value verification is not only an indispensable part of quality management, but also of process control. With its “automatic sample cutting” function, MATCONTROL HF enables a precise comparison between the actual sample strip and the inline measurement. MATCONTROL HF proceeds as follows.

Function overview:

Marking: Unique identification of the sample cut for laboratory analysis.
Signal for ejection: Automatic ejection of the marked sample cut.
Assignment: The marking facilitates the unique assignment of the mat section to the corresponding laboratory sample.
Sample measurement mode: Special mode available for measuring samples.
Measurement value visualisation: The software displays measurement values in colour based on the size of the laboratory samples.
Accuracy check: On-demand checking of measurement accuracy, enabling use in automatic control loops.

Foreign objects such as nails, stones or metal parts on a conveyor belt — Thanks to its high-resolution measurement, MATCONTROL HF is able to detect the exact size and location of foreign objects down to the millimetre range. Both metallic and non-metallic materials that fall outside the density tolerance of the material strand are detected.

Foreign object detection – detection of metallic and non-metallic substances

Thanks to its high-resolution measurement, MATCONTROL HF is able to detect the exact size and location of foreign objects down to the millimetre range.

Both metallic and non-metallic materials that fall outside the density tolerance of the material strand are detected. Classic examples of this can be found in the insulation industry, where hot spots cause enormous production damage due to their delayed heat dissipation. Missing material, on the other hand, not only reduces quality, but is also responsible for expensive returns and a loss of reputation that is difficult to quantify in monetary terms.

Another example can be found in the wood-based materials industry, where foreign object detection helps to protect expensive steel strips by setting the correct threshold values.

MATCONTROL HF identifies a wide range of foreign objects and anomalies, including glue lumps, hot spots, wet spots, and metallic and non-metallic elements such as nails, staples, or stones.
Detects areas that are too light or missing material, indicating voids or material omissions.
Uses eight individually adjustable thresholds for detection, allowing flexible adaptation to different production requirements.
Direct integration of protective measures into the plant control system by assigning threshold violations to specific digital outputs.
Option to mark detected faults in colour, which facilitates troubleshooting.
Stores threshold violations in a database and enables detailed tracking and analysis of production faults.

Non-binding information

Do you have questions about MATCONTROL HF, its functions or possible integration into your process? Make an appointment with our measurement technology experts today!

Get in touch with us!

GreCon MATCONTROL T – Stationary inline basis weight measurement using X-ray technology

Fluctuations in material distribution lead to increased production costs and reduced quality. The MATCONTROL T inline basis weight scale enables automatic control and regulation of material distribution. The system maintains a preselected basis weight at the measuring point, even with changing wood assortments and different chip sizes. A visualisation computer displays the measured values and enables easy parameterisation of the system. The MATCONTROL T is installed directly in the forming station or on the dosing or forming belt and can also be used as a replacement for modernising existing ‘old’ systems. Even basic bunkers that were not previously equipped with a measuring system can be retrofitted with this system. Particular advantages of this system are its low space requirement, high measuring accuracy and insensitivity to disruptive environmental influences such as dust, steam and high material temperatures. Compared to other measuring methods, measuring the basis weight with the MATCONTROL T has the advantage that even slight fluctuations in material distribution can be detected and automatically compensated for.

Stable, uniform material flow even with variable wood mixtures
Material savings, uniformity of the longitudinal profile
No additional belt weigher required
Non-contact measurement without influencing the quality of the measured values due to harsh environmental conditions
Control of material distribution and maintenance of a constant material flow in the production process
Calibration with homogeneous test specimens enables very precise measurement
Retrofitting of existing systems with fixed radiation possible

The weight per unit area scale operates without contact. To record the measured value, the material to be measured is penetrated by X-rays. Depending on the quantity of material and the specific weight of the material, the radiation intensity recorded by the sensor is altered. This is the measure of the weight per unit area (kg/m²). Depending on the material properties and the location of use, various measuring transducers are available.

MATCONTROL T The inline basis weight scale as a rendering in orange — *The MATCONTROL T inline web weight scale enables automatic control and regulation of material distribution.*

GreCon MATCONTROL C – traversing inline basis weight measurement using X-ray technology

The GreCon MATCONTROL C basis weight measuring device ensures high product quality with optimised use of raw materials and energy. The properties of chipboard, MDF and OSB boards depend on the exact distribution of the mat. The main objective when using a MATCONTROL C is to optimise material consumption. A heavy board is still acceptable to the end customer, but the material and production costs are far too high for the manufacturer. A board that is too light has poor quality characteristics.

The MATCONTROL C monitors the material distribution of loosely scattered or pre-pressed wood-based mats. Graphical and numerical displays enable the operator to adjust the forming process in such a way that consistent board quality is achieved while optimising material and energy consumption.

Optimisation of material consumption
Monitoring of material distribution
Fast crossbeam movement – fast and strip-wise measurement of the cross-profile for quick intervention in the production process
Measurement of the longitudinal profile to detect systematic distribution errors in the longitudinal and transverse directions
Automatic calibration with homogeneous test specimens for optimum measurement quality
Complete visualisation as on-site operation via TOUCH (server)
Additional visualisations on all devices (clients) in the same network
Use of different measurement modes
Operating system independent

Continuous monitoring of mat distribution in production prior to the main press ensures an optimal production process. Belt running disturbances caused by imbalances in the mat can be prevented.

The recorded measurement data enables easy tracing of production processes to identify potential for optimisation. Combining MATCONTROL C information with other process data in a higher-level process control system reveals additional potential for optimisation.

The basis weight measuring device operates without contact. An X-ray source is installed above the material and a high-precision sensor below it. Depending on the specific density and quantity of the material, the sensor measures more or less X-ray radiation. This is a measure of the weight per unit area (kg/m² / lbs/ft²).

The quality of the measurement results depends largely on constant conditions during the measurement. To achieve high measurement accuracy, the MATCONTROL C is automatically calibrated at regular intervals. A corresponding calibration pattern is automatically swung out at the calibration position next to the measuring section. The sensor moves to this position at regular intervals and performs an automatic calibration.

Meaningful values, smooth processes

High-resolution basis weight measurement and foreign object detection

Are you still encountering foreign objects or material defects that reduce your product quality? Are you looking for an effective solution to prevent production downtime and damage to equipment – for example, steel belts? Would you like precise monitoring methods that not only increase the safety of your production, but also guarantee the quality of your end products? Or do you simply want to reduce costs?

Find the solution with GreCon MATCONTROL systems, your reliable mat scanners from Fagus-GreCon.

Do you have any questions about GreCon MATCONTROL products and functions? Don't hesitate – make an appointment with our measurement technology experts today and get comprehensive advice.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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Weight per unit area of mat products safely under control