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Edge detection of any material with Roll-2-Roll Sensor

Edge Detection and Position Measurement

Edge detection and position measurement is the foundation of automated web handling. Roll-2-Roll Technologies provides fiber-optic sensors that detect web edges on any material—clear films, porous nonwovens, metallic foils, glass, mesh, and abrasive materials—without recalibration. Unlike traditional photoelectric or ultrasonic sensors that struggle with material variations, our sensors use patented light scattering technology to deliver reliable edge position data regardless of opacity, porosity, or reflectivity.

The Challenge: Why Traditional Edge Sensors Fall Short

Traditional edge sensors rely on blocking a signal—infrared light or ultrasonic sound—to detect the web's presence. This creates critical limitations:

  • Material Dependency: Clear films allow light to pass through. Porous nonwovens allow ultrasonic sound to pass through. Each material type requires sensor recalibration or switching to a different sensor technology entirely.
  • Setup Time Waste: Operators must manually adjust gain, teach contrast points, or swap sensors during material changeovers. A 15-minute changeover becomes a 30-minute ordeal.
  • Vacuum Incompatibility: Ultrasonic sensors cannot function in vacuum environments—no air means no sound waves. This limits options for glass manufacturing, coating processes, and semiconductor applications.
  • Vision System Complexity: Camera-based alternatives require separate light sources, gantry systems, and vision experts to program—adding weeks of integration time and ongoing specialist costs.

The Roll-2-Roll Solution: 1D Camera Without Complexity

Roll-2-Roll® Sensors are essentially one-dimensional line scan cameras—but without the complexity of traditional machine vision systems:

Traditional Machine VisionRoll-2-Roll Technologies Sensors
Requires separate light sourceIntegrated LED illumination
Needs gantry/mounting systemsSingle-sided, compact form factor
Requires "vision expert" to programOperators set up with zero code
Complex calibration proceduresNo calibration needed
Weeks of integration timeSetup in minutes

How It Works

  1. Projects Light: An integrated LED array illuminates the web from one side
  2. Captures Scattered Signature: A patented fiber-optic array acts as a spatial filter
  3. Creates a 1D Image: The sensor generates a one-dimensional picture of the web edge

The Result: The sensor sees the structure of the web—its physical edge—regardless of whether it's opaque, clear, porous, or reflective. This is a major unlock: sophisticated imaging capability that operators can set up with no lines of code.

Technical Specifications

SpecificationODC Family1DC Series
Sensing Ranges48, 96, 192, 288, 384, 480, 768, 960 mm96, 192, 288, 384, 480, 768, 960 mm
Hardware Resolution0.0635 mm (48-288mm) / 0.127 mm (384-960mm)0.0635 mm (0.0025 in)
Repeatability>99.9%>99.9%
Linearity Error<0.25%<0.25%
Response Time20 ms standard (1 ms available)20 ms standard (1 ms available)
Max Edges Detected128128
Min Edge Spacing2 mm (0.08 in)2 mm (0.08 in)
Working Distance15-25 mm standard15-25 mm standard
Operating Temperature-10°C to 65°C-10°C to 65°C
Vacuum CompatibleYESYES
Controller RequiredYes (SCU5 or SCU6x)No (built-in)
Industrial ProtocolsVia controllerEtherNet/IP, PROFINET, EtherCAT, Modbus/TCP

Key Benefits

  • Zero Changeover Time: No manual recalibration between materials—switch from clear film to metallic foil instantly
  • Eliminate Calibration Errors: No teach mode, no gain adjustments, no operator-dependent settings
  • True Spatial Awareness: ±0.1mm accuracy with 0.0635mm resolution—not just binary on/off
  • Wide Viewing Area: Up to 960mm sensing range covers full web width without repositioning
  • Single-Sided Installation: Fits in tight spaces where C-frame sensors cannot
  • Vacuum Operation: Works in vacuum environments where ultrasonic sensors cannot function
  • No Vision Expert Required: Operators set up and run the system with zero code

Cost of Inaction: What You're Losing Today

Every week you continue with legacy edge sensors, you're accumulating hidden costs:

Hidden Costs (Uncounted but Real)

  • Calibration Labor: 2 hours monthly at $60/hour = $1,440/year per line
  • Extended Changeovers: 2 extra minutes × 5 changes/day × 250 days × $1,000/hour machine rate = $41,700/year
  • Troubleshooting Time: 4 hours/month diagnosing drift-related issues = $2,880/year

Risk Costs (Probability × Impact)

  • Quality Escapes: Undetected edge drift causes coating misregistration—potential recalls or rework
  • Equipment Damage: Missed edges lead to web wraps, bearing damage, production stops

Opportunity Costs (Revenue You're Not Capturing)

  • Material Limitations: Can't run clear films, mesh, or specialty materials your competitors handle
  • Speed Constraints: Slow sensor response forces reduced line speeds
  • Lost Contracts: Can't bid on precision work requiring ±0.1mm accuracy

Typical Annual Cost of Inaction: \$25,000 - \$75,000 per line

Applications Across Industries

  • Battery Manufacturing — Detect electrode foils with 0.0635mm resolution for precise coating alignment
  • Converting & Packaging — Guide multiple material types without recalibration between changeovers
  • Nonwovens & Hygiene — Guide porous materials at speeds up to 1000 m/min
  • Glass Manufacturing — Detect glass edges in vacuum environments (used by major glass manufacturers)
  • Film Extrusion — Measure layflat width on blown film lines, including clear films
  • Label & Printing — Detect clear labels on clear liners without special setup
  • Pharma & Medical — Guide multiple materials with data logging for regulatory compliance

Product Options

ODC 96 Family

Best for: End users who want easy setup with touchscreen interface

  • Requires SCU5 or SCU6x controller
  • Intuitive touchscreen operation
  • No coding required
  • Sensing ranges: 48-960mm

View ODC Family

1DC 960 Series

Best for: OEMs and technical users who prefer Ethernet/PLC interfaces

  • All-in-one sensor (no external controller)
  • Direct Ethernet connectivity
  • EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, EtherCAT, Modbus/TCP
  • Sensing ranges: 96-960mm

View 1DC Series

Related Solutions

Frequently Asked Questions

Roll-2-Roll® Sensors use patented fiber-optic technology based on light scattering rather than light blocking. This means they detect the physical presence of the web edge regardless of optical properties.

Materials that work:

  • Clear and transparent films
  • Porous nonwovens
  • Metallic foils
  • Glass
  • Mesh and perforated materials
  • Rubber and textiles
  • Carbon fiber
  • Abrasive materials

The only challenging material is matte carbon black that absorbs infrared light without reflection—and even this can be addressed by angling the light source.

Both Roll-2-Roll® sensors and traditional line scan cameras capture one-dimensional scans to build profiles of continuously moving webs. However, Roll-2-Roll® sensors use patented linear fiber-optic arrays instead of circular lenses. This fundamental difference delivers several advantages:

  • 100x more light sensitivity — larger pixels (63.5 µm vs. 5–14 µm in conventional cameras) capture significantly more light per pixel
  • Working distance under 15 mm — the 1:1 magnification of fiber optics enables compact installations in tight spaces
  • Zero lens distortion — linear fiber optics behave like telecentric lenses, eliminating the aberrations and geometric errors inherent in circular optics
  • No vision engineer required — adaptive edge detection algorithms are built in, so setup takes minutes instead of the weeks typically required for traditional line scan camera integration

The result is line-scan-camera-grade measurement capability — pixel counts from 768 to over 14,000, scan rates above 200 kHz — without calibration, custom software, or specialized imaging expertise.

Unlike traditional sensors that require recalibration for each material type, Roll-2-Roll® Sensors use adaptive edge detection algorithms that automatically adjust to different material characteristics.

This eliminates:

  • Manual gain adjustments
  • Teach mode procedures
  • Operator-dependent settings
  • Extended changeover times

The impact: Plants using legacy sensors typically lose 2 hours monthly to recalibration—time that Roll-2-Roll Technologies technology completely eliminates.

No. A Roll-2-Roll® sensor is actually a line scan camera with vision-like capabilities, packaged with the simplicity of a sensor.

Traditional edge sensors give you a single-point measurement — one edge position, one signal. Roll-2-Roll® sensors have 768 to over 14,000 pixels, integrated LED lighting (infrared, ultraviolet, or white light options), and adaptive algorithms that provide spatial awareness across the full sensing range.

This means a single Roll-2-Roll® sensor can handle:

  • Edge detection — up to 128 edges simultaneously
  • Width measurement — real-time, across ranges up to 960 mm
  • Splice detection — tape splices, overlaps, and joints
  • Flag detection — operator flags, markers, and registration marks
  • Thread counting — individual thread or string detection
  • Tear and void inspection — holes, tears, and surface anomalies

All of this without machine vision complexity. The same sensor-controller combination can be repurposed across entirely different applications without hardware replacement — significantly reducing ownership costs.

Roll-2-Roll® Sensors are vacuum compatible and can detect clear films in vacuum environments. This is a unique capability that no other edge detection technology can match:

  • Ultrasonic sensors cannot function in vacuum—no air means no sound waves for detection
  • Many optical sensors struggle with clear films even in normal atmosphere

Roll-2-Roll Technologies fiber-optic technology solves both problems, making it the only solution for applications like:

  • Glass manufacturing processes
  • Vacuum coating operations
  • Semiconductor manufacturing
  • Specialty film production

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