Click on “Download PDF” for the PDF version or on the title for the HTML version.

If you are not an ASABE member or if your employer has not arranged for access to the full-text, Click here for options.

A nondestructive quality inspection technique using acoustic impulse response method was developed for the detection of surface cracks in an eggshell. An experimental system was built to generate the impact force, measure the response signal, analyze the frequency spectrum, and classify the eggs as cracked or normal. This system includes an impulse generating unit, an egg holding seat, a microphone with a preamplifier, and a DSP board installed in a personal computer. A multivariate discriminant analysis and a multiple regression analysis were used to develop classification criteria for the detection of surface cracks in the eggshell. The error rates in estimating cracked eggs as normal (type I error) and estimating normal eggs as cracked (type II error) were found to be 6% and 4%, respectively. The measured processing time for classification was 200 ms/egg with the online inspection algorithm.