Patent ID: 7141193

Claim:
Method for calibrating electromagnetic-radiation spectroscopic-instrumentation so as to enable quantitative analyses of curable resin, as applied to a substantially-planar veneer-wood sheet surface area during in-line movement of the sheet toward assembly of multiple-ply bundles for producing engineered-composite wood-veneer product, comprising (A) providing spectroscopic-instrumentation enabling selecting wood-surface penetrative wavelengths of electromagnetic-radiation in a range of about 350 nm to about 2500 nm; (B) quantitatively pre-establishing pre-determined surface-application of said resin, at a selected level of weight per specified surface area, for individual reference-source wood-veneer test-samples; (C) supporting said test-samples with pre-established resin-application for movement on a conveyance; (D) positioning spectroscopic instrumentation providing electromagnetic-radiation in a range of wavelengths including wavelengths absorbed by said resin and capable of penetrating wood-veneer of said test-samples; (E) controlling rate of movement of said conveyed test-samples with respect to said instrumentation, and coordinating said rate of movement with a selected in-line controlled-rate of movement for lay-up of veneer-wood plies for commercial production of said engineered-composite veneer-wood product; (F) illuminating a predetermined surface area of said pre-established resin application of said test-samples with visible light (VIS) and simultaneously irradiating with near infra-red (NIR), during said conveyed movement of said test samples relative to said instrumentation, (G) quantitatively measuring radiation absorbance by pre-established resin applications to individual respective test-samples, for calibrating said spectroscopic-instrumentation, during said controlled rate of movement with respect to said instrumentation.