Potencial uso en la evaluación de lanas y fibras de animales de un novedoso caracterizador electrónico

Abstract

Se desarrolló y validó un novedoso Caracterizador Electrónico de Fibras (CEF). En el desarrollo del CEF se utilizaron y ensamblaron componentes mecánicos, ópticos, electrónicos e informáticos. Para la calibración, validación y evaluación del potencial uso en fibras de animales se tomaron muestras de patrones de diámetros conocidos de tops de ovinos, mohair, alpacas, así como muestras de fragmentos de fibras de vicuñas y de alpacas, que fueron medidas antes y después de calibrar con el CEF, OFDA2000 en modo 100 y Laserscan. El CEF desarrollado permite procesar las imágenes de fibras obtenidas mediante tecnología de visión artificial, realizando más de 8000 mediciones por muestra en 30 segundos. Los resultados se muestran en una interfaz gráfica amigable que forma parte del software propietario elaborado para el CEF.

A novel Fibre Electronic Characterizer (called Fiber EC) was developed and validated.In the development of the Fiber EC, mechanical, optical, electronic and computercomponents were used and assembled. For the calibration, validation and evaluation ofthe potential use in animal fibres samples of well-known diameter patterns were takenfrom tops of sheep, mohair, alpacas, as well as samples of fibre snippets of vicuñas andalpacas, which were measured before and after calibration with the Fiber EC, OFDA2000in 100 mode and Laserscan. Snippets (n=299) of unwashed alpaca samples were alsomeasured in the OFDA 2000 and in the Fiber EF under field conditions. The developedFiber EC allows to process the images of fibres obtained by artificial vision technology,making more than 8000 measurements per sample in 30 seconds. The results are shown ina friendly graphical interface that is part of the proprietary software developed for theFiber EC. The calibration for the conversion of pixels to microns was adjusted to linearregressions with correlation coefficients very close to 1. The results of the validationindicate that the Fiber EF has high precision and accuracy for the average fibre diameter(AFD) with ranges of tolerance within those required by IWTO and ASTM, in the case ofsheep wool and mohair fibres, although a little low in the case of vicuña fibres. On theother hand, a correlation close to 1 was found for measurements obtained by OFDA 2000and the Fiber EC with respect to alpaca fibres for MDF and comfort factor, both in thecase of laboratory and field use. Finally, in the evaluation of cashmere fibres it was foundthat the results are characteristic of this type of fibres. It is concluded that the Fiber EC canbe used in the evaluation of sheep wool and mohair and alpaca fibres with great precisionand accuracy, and should carry out more evaluations for vicuña and cashmere fibres.