ME 8883 Physical Properties

of Paper Measurement
Lecture 10: Surface Roughness:
a)Parker Print Surf, b) Sheffield, c)
Bendtsen, d) Emveco Stylus

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 Adventures in Printability and
Roughness
• Generally the air leak method for
roughness is still the best predictor of
printability although the correlation is poor
• it is an off-line and destructive test
• several different paper topographies can
produce the same apparent air leak
roughness although their printabilities will
be different

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 A dynamic paper compressibility
test
• A modified Emveco caliper gauge was
linked to a digitizing oscilloscope, load
applied by a solenoid valve connecting a
piston to an air reservoir
• A Kelvin-Voigt spring dashpot viscoelastic
model fitted the resulting waveforms to
determine the effective out of plane
modulus and response to the impact

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The modulus
here is the
out of plane
modulus
measured by
a dynamic
caliper
gauge
whose
output is
measured by
a digitizing
oscilloscope
WRC –
western red
cedar

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Here we mention PPS – Parker Print Surf measurement of surface roughness
The suggestion here is that as paper has a higher modulus (through higher
density) it will also be smoother – but will it print better ?

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Parker print Surf measuring head detail

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Slide from Testing Machines
Incorporated

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“Head” geometries of various air leak instruments

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However, the gap g for paper is not a simple
constant but is dependent of the surface pore
number, shape and distribution

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Why contact air leak measurement ? Why not measure the roughness optically ?

This has been considered before, started with the reflection of radar waves off
ocean waves in WWII, theory in Beckmann and Spizzichino “the Scattering of
Electromagnetic Waves from Rough Surfaces”

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Warren and Peel (1973) did use long wavelength IR scatter to
characterize paper roughness – not easy.
SCATTERING OF INFRARED RADIATION AS A METHOD OF
MEASURING PAPER ROUGHNESS. Part 1
Warren, C. A.; Peel, J. D Source: Paper Technology, v 14, n 2, 91-8
[T55-62], April, 1973
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For specular reflection, the incident and reflection
angles are the same, moreover the reflected light is
largely linearly polarized in the s direction, i.e.,
perpendicular to the plane of incidence.

Optical scattering from surfaces works well for ground

metal surfaces, paper because it contains many
different scales of roughness does not work.

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“Lasercheck” by Optical Dimensions CA - used on metal roll
grinding

A built in visible laser diode emits a laser beam from the bottom of the
gage illuminating the surface beneath it at a shallow incident angle. After
striking the surface, the laser light is reflected and scattered back into the
Lasercheck detection system. As surface roughness increases, the
"specular" laser reflection decreases in relative intensity and the diffuse or
"scattered light" reflection increases in relative intensity. This overall
intensity and distribution of the reflected and scattered light is measured
by an array of small closely packed detectors. This measurement is
digitized by Lasercheck electronics, and then Ra roughness is calculated
for the illuminated area

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Walter Bloechle, Hohner Corp.

Figure 2.An absolutely smooth surface

reflects light from a point source at an
angle qr equal to the angle of
incidence qi.

Figure 3. Light from a point

source is scattered by a rough
surface into multiple reflections of
equal intensity. The amount of
light reflected at angle qr is equal
to that reflected at an angle
normal to the surface

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One attempt a optically
measuring the roughness
of paper was in the Domtar
version of determining the
amplitude of uneven light
reflectance at high
frequency as the paper
moved past the sensor,

Most attempts at optical

surface roughness
detection to date ended up
being too sensitive to
paper gloss or brightness
and cannot measure the
small changes in surface
roughness 27
So back to contact air leak, but it is dependent on the number and shape of
surface pores and paper compressibility.

The “gap” g
measured in an
integral of the Fo here is the
topography over fraction of
the surface in flat
measurement contact with the
geometry top

Taken from P.
Mangin (1989)

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Micrograph of lightweight coated
paper

Fibres
Is all paper
rough?
Coating particles Pits

Several scales of roughness exist simultaneously

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Calendering is the process where dried paper on a paper
machine is passed through several pressurized nips
comprised of mating rolls to reduce the paper thickness
by about 50%, this “squeezes” out the pore volume

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Relationship between paper bulk, roughness and
gloss:
As paper is densified in calendering, it becomes
smoother and glossier

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 PPS Tappi method excerpts

The most common use of the PPS is the S-10

method, soft rubber backing and a clamping
pressure of 10 kgf/cm^2
For very smooth papers, e.g coated magazine, the
H-20 is also used: Hard backing with a higher
clamping pressure of 20 kgf/cm^2
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Correlations between
various air leak
instruments is known to
be grade dependent, here
are some graphs taken
from the 1996 L&W
catalogue with their
disclaimer

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 Reference study on air-leak roughness interrelationships for
newsprint

Inter-Relationship Among Air-Leak Roughness/Smoothness Methods: Canadian Newsprint Study

Bichard, W. Source: Pulp and Paper Canada, v 93, n 6, 43-48, June, 1992
ISSN: 0316-4004

Abstract: Canada, the world's largest exporter of newsprint, exported 8,600,000 mt to more than 55 countries in
1988. International trade of newsprint subjects it to tariffs and regulations. The Customs Co-operation Council
(CCC), an international organization, has responsibilities that include the proposition of customs tariff
nomenclatures. The CCC developed the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) that has
been implemented by 52 countries to date. HS became effective January 1, 1988. Its definition of newsprint
includes smoothness/roughness requirements measured with Bekk instruments, as does that of the European
Community Tariff Schedule (ECTS). The Bekk method is not commonly used in Canada, and it is suggested that
its precision is questionable for newsprint. Smoothness/roughness testers used in Canadian laboratories
include Parker Print-Surf, Sheffield, and Bendtsen. A study using 40 commercial newsprint samples from
across Canada was conducted to determine how these test methods are related to the Bekk method. All four
methods use the air-leak measurement principle, which states that the greater the roughness, the greater the
flow or leakage of air across it. While the Bekk method measures smoothness, the other three measure
roughness. Each method is described. The Bekk test had the highest in-sample error, followed by the Bendtsen
test. The Parker Print-Surf method had the least error. The Bekk method was better suited to discerning
differences in very smooth papers. The majority of newsprint samples tested met the HS classification for
newsprint (Bekk smoothness under 200 sec), but a significant number had difficulty meeting the ECTS
subclassification of 130 sec Bekk. The Parker Print-Surf measurement gave a better prediction of Bekk results.
(3 fig., 12 ref., 5 tab.)

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Drawings of the Bendtsen
measuring head illustrating
the principles of
measurement – from an
1996 L&W catalogue

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 Developed by Bendtsen in Denmark in
1940
laboratory air is fed from a small
compressor to a mechanical pressure
regulator which regulates the air supply
to the measuring head at 1.47 kPa,
equivalent to 150mm water gauge
The low pressure air is fed to the centre of a metal
annulus, 0.15mm wide, which rests on the test sample.
The sample is supported by a glass plate. The rate of
flow of air between the annulus and the paper is
measured by variable area flowmeters 38
 the Bendtsen roughness tester system

variable
compressor pressure area measuring
regulator flowmeters head

slide material from TMI ,Inc

Michael Moore
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Deficiencies of the Bendtsen design

• the simple mechanical air pressure regulator often

cannot maintain the measuring air pressure within the
limits specified by most standards
• the variable area flowmeters are subject to wear of the
floats and the bores of the tubes
• the length and internal diameter of the flexible tube
connecting the measuring head to the instrument
reduces the actual pressure at the measuring head by an
unknown amount
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 The design of the measuring head makes it act
like a hovercraft and its effective mass decreases
with air flow
This limits the effective
cross section of Bendtsen measuring head range of the instrument
to 50 - 1200 ml/min
the measuring land is
low pressure air

flow due to
easily damaged if
paper
roughness
dropped
glass plate
flow due to
permeability
steel annulus,0.15mm wide

During the test a large area of the test piece is exposed to air
under pressure. Air flow due to porosity will be counted as
flow due to roughness
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Glass plate is in
back of the air
flowmeters Manostate
weights
regulate
pressure,
typically use
the 150 mm
water column
one

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The combined effect of these deficiencies results in an instrument with very
poor reproducibility and high maintenance requirement
Bendsten tests are highly operator dependent because the measuring head is
manually positioned and the time between placing the head and reading the
flowmeter is not specified

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Sheffield air leak instrument: manometers, glass plate
backing, popular for newsprint for many decades

Calibration air leaks

Manometer for manometer
adjustments for tubes 1,2,3 are
calibration check located here
Before
measurement
check:
Remove the quick-
connect hose, place
in a selected
calibrated air leak
and adjust the high
and zero value with
the toggle valve up
or down accordingly
.
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 •The apparatus consists of an air supply, a pressure controller, a
pressure measuring device, an air flow measuring device, and a test
head assembly which houses a flat plate, the measuring head, and a
mechanical device that lowers the test head onto the specimen that is
inserted between the measuring head and flat plate.

• The measuring head has concentric annular lands of a

total area of 97+/- 3 mm2
• The total mass of the measuring head is 1.640+/- 0.005kg.
• Range is 0 to 3400mL/min (0-400 SU)

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 Parker Print Surf instrument operational
detail

1965
• JohnParker was a scientist with the Bowater
Corporation at its newsprint mills in Kent, UK
• He wanted a roughness test for newsprint which
gave results in a form which was meaningful to
printers

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Why design another roughness tester?

Roughness
letterpress printing plate
letterpress printing plate is an
ink
important
paper
contributor
press packing to printability

half-tone dot, 0.050mm diameter BUT

Existing roughness testers did not attempt to

simulate the nip pressures and packing hardness of
the letterpress and litho printing processes

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 The Print-surf
reference plane is a
cross section of Print-surf measuring head
steel strip 100mm
central air
long and 0.051mm vent
air in air out

wide, formed into an

annulus
steel guard rings centre line
of head
spaced at guard land guard land
measuring land

each side of the annulus prevent the escape of air along the
paper surface. The small overall dimensions of the measuring
head minimize the area of paper exposed to possible leakage
through air permeance
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Parker-print Surf components

air in analogue
pressure
vent
gauge

pressure glass flow

regulator meter tubes

analogue
pressure
gauge sensing head

test piece

resilient backing assembly

clamp
pressure pneumatic
regulator clamp

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Effect of the measurement being proportional to the
cube root of the mean gap, different topographies can
get the same air leak roughness however…
Printing on rough paper

Printing plate

Ink film

paper
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Parker Print Surf - front panel
options
Select “cP 1000” and
“S” for the S-10
measurement, using
the soft backing

For very smooth

papers select cP
2000 and “H” for
PPS H-20

“R” is for roughness

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 Print-surf Calibration
• The measuring system and electronics may
be checked by measuring an external fluidic
impedance (“dummy head”)
• The dummy head simulates a piece of
paper of known roughness, placed in the
measuring nip.
• The instrument reading should agree with
the assigned roughness value of the dummy
head to within ±0.05µm
• The dummy head does not check the most
critical part of the instrument – the 52
measuring nip.
 Test and Calibration Disc Set

Three sets of 6 Spare hard backings

discs, in 3
ranges

Zero
check
film

Cotton gloves for handling 53

 Print-surf Maintenance
Routine Check #1

Clamp a piece of soft rubber sheet in the nip and

take reading
Result should be <0.3µm
If not, check for leaks in the air tubing or at the
head manifold.
Fix leaks or reapply grease seal on manifold

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 Print-surf Maintenance
Routine Check #2
Measure a piece of clean zero check film at
1000kPa
Result should be <0.3µm
If not, clean film with lens tissue and remeasure
If still high, inspect measuring land for scratches
Look for air leaks as in #1
Damaged measuring heads must be returned for
refurbishment
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 The Print-Surf and Printability

letterpress Excellent Original design brief

Litho Excellent Original design brief

Gravure Good Clamp pressure just low enough

Flexo Not good Range too low

Clamp pressures too high

Ink jet Not good Clamp pressures too high

xerography Not good Clamp pressures too high

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This has been
shown to correlate
well with
linerboard
flexographic
printability, a
stylus rides along
the surface as a
strip is pulled
through, the
measured surface
undulations
calculated as a
“microdeviation”
Output and graph
are on the
attached PC

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Microdeviation are the differences squared, microaverage is equation
(1)
Load on “STANDBY” sample strip in CD or MD orientation with strip
under the pulley wheel, set to “RUN”,start measurement form software 58
 Assignment #2

• Using the sample set from assignment #1: linerboard,

medium, magazine paper, newsprint, synthetic paper,
Mylar, measure the surface roughness using
1. Bendtsen
2. Sheffield
3. Parker-print Surf S-10 and PPS H-20
4. Emveco stylus, MD and CD
Describe your procedure in detail, instrument checks made, plot
the results and comment/explain on the
similarities/differences, try to find correlations between the
different measurements. Remember there are 2 sides and 2
directions to a paper specimen

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