Maintaining the correct level of tension on web materials is significant to ensuring quality and appearance and to minimizing material breakage, wandering and other process issues that can lead to downtime. Measuring roll diameter and monitoring loop tension is fundamental to maintaining the correct amount of web tension. Variations in materials, as well as material color, translucence and reflectivity, even environmental conditions can challenge a sensor’s ability to detect and measure these targets. Banner offers sensors in a range of sensing technologies capable of accurately and consistently measuring roll diameter and monitoring the tension of loops to ensure the correct level of web tension.
The L-GAGE LT7 is aimed at a roll of print paper, constantly monitoring its diameter, to gauge the rate at which the printer is taking up the paper.
Banner’s LE550 is factory configured with a range of 100 to 1000 mm and can start measuring immediately. If the range needs to be adjusted, the laser sensor has an intuitive user interface with a two-line, eight-character display, making it easy to automatically or manually adjust settings. The LE550 provides repeatability and accuracy across challenging targets, from metal to black rubber, allows for reliable measurement of the shrink wrap.
After a convincing demonstration, the company chose Banner’s L-GAGE® LE550 laser gauging sensors to replace the ultrasonic sensors on their winders. Like the optical sensors, the LE550 is unaffected by drafts in the facility. Unlike the optical sensors, the LE550 is color insensitive. Linear array technology enables the LE550 to measure each roll, regardless of paper color, even colors that had most challenged the optical sensors.
Banner’s LE550 is factory configured with a range of 100 to 1000 mm and can start measuring immediately. If the range needs to be adjusted, the laser sensor has an intuitive user interface with a two-line, eight-character display, making it easy to automatically or manually adjust settings. The LE550 provides repeatability and accuracy across challenging targets, from metal to black rubber, allowing for reliable measurement of the dark blue material.
Banner’s LE550 provides repeatability and accuracy across challenging targets, including shiny, reflective surfaces like metal. The laser sensor has an intuitive user interface, making it easy to adjust settings and set up a roll diameter application, without needing to unwind the metal roll. The analog output can be used to control wind or unwind speeds.
Sound waves detect surfaces regardless of color or transparency Plastic film wrapping of food trays is made more efficient by applying the film as the trays move down a conveyor process. The film must be fed evenly across the trays, but this must also be done while ensuring the film is not torn or broken.
The D10 Expert detects the web if it droops into the sensor’s beam because the tension is too loose; the D10 then sends a signal to the controller to adjust the speed accordingly.
The detection of clear plastic is always a challenge. The optical beam of traditional photoelectric sensors will burn through clear material, making sensing results unreliable. The U-GAGE T30UX Series Ultrasonic Sensor uses pulses of ultrasonic energy, which reflect off the target and back to the sensor, to reliably detect clear materials. In this application, a T30UX with an analog output is being used to monitor the tension of the loop.
In the beverage industry, labels need to be applied to the bottles quickly and without error to keep production levels high. Accurately monitoring the thickness on a spool of labels and controlling the unwinding speed is very important for the process to run smoothly. A solution is needed that can accurately supervise and report the material levels on a spool in order to prevent it from running out during the manufacturing process and delaying production.
Banner’s T30UX ultrasonic sensor is the perfect sensor for detecting clear material for loop control because it uses sound rather than light, which makes it more accurate and cost-effective for this specific application. Although the material is clear, it presents a solid surface for an ultrasonic sensor to bounce a sound wave. The T30UX has a more accurate transducer, a smaller dead zone and minimum distance compared to other sensors that can be used for clear material detection.
