Sensing and measurement solutions
Quick Answer:
Plants using legacy edge sensors typically spend $25,000-$75,000 per line annually on hidden costs including calibration labor, extended changeovers, and quality escapes.
The cost of continuing with legacy edge sensors includes:
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 at $1,000/hour = $41,700/year
- Troubleshooting Time: 4 hours/month diagnosing drift-related issues = $2,880/year
Risk Costs
- Quality Escapes: Undetected edge drift causing coating misregistration
- Equipment Damage: Missed edges leading to web wraps and bearing damage
Opportunity Costs
- Material Limitations: Cannot run clear films, mesh, or specialty materials
- Speed Constraints: Slow sensor response forces reduced line speeds
Typical Annual Cost of Inaction: $25,000 - $75,000 per line
Quick Answer:
The ODC Family requires a controller with touchscreen interface for easy operation. The 1DC Series has built-in processing with direct Ethernet connectivity for OEMs.
Both product lines provide the same edge detection repeatability and material versatility. The difference is in how they integrate:
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
1DC 960 Series
- Best for: OEMs and technical users who prefer Ethernet/PLC interfaces
- All-in-one sensor (no external controller needed)
- Direct Ethernet connectivity
- EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, EtherCAT, Modbus/TCP
- Sensing ranges: 96-960mm
Both are priced similarly—choose based on your integration preference, not cost.
Quick Answer:
No. Roll-2-Roll sensors are designed for operator setup with zero code required—no vision expert, no programming, no complex calibration.
Roll-2-Roll® Sensors are essentially one-dimensional line scan cameras—but without the complexity of traditional machine vision systems:
| Traditional Machine Vision | Roll-2-Roll Technologies Sensors |
|---|---|
| Requires separate light source | Integrated LED illumination |
| Needs gantry/mounting systems | Single-sided, compact form factor |
| Requires "vision expert" to program | Operators set up with zero code |
| Complex calibration procedures | No calibration needed |
| Weeks of integration time | Setup in minutes |
This is a major unlock: sophisticated 1D imaging capability that production staff can set up and maintain without specialized training or ongoing support costs.
Quick Answer:
Roll-2-Roll edge sensors have a hardware resolution of 0.0635 mm (0.0025 in) and repeatability of ±0.127 mm (±0.005 in), with linearity error under 0.25%.
Roll-2-Roll® Sensors provide true spatial awareness—not just binary on/off detection:
| Hardware Resolution | 0.0635 mm (0.0025 in) |
| Firmware Resolution | Up to 0.015875 mm |
| Repeatability | ±0.127 mm (±0.005 in) |
| Linearity Error | 0.25% |
| Response Time | 20 ms standard (1 ms on ODC 48 and 96 mm models) |
These figures hold across all material types without recalibration, which matters for battery electrode coating, optical film production and high-speed converting.
Quick Answer:
Yes. Roll-2-Roll sensors work in vacuum environments and can detect clear films there; ultrasonic sensors can't operate in vacuum at all.
Roll-2-Roll® Sensors are vacuum compatible and can detect clear films in vacuum environments. This addresses limitations other sensing technologies have in vacuum:
- 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 a strong fit for applications like:
- Glass manufacturing processes
- Vacuum coating operations
- Specialty film production
Quick Answer:
No. Roll-2-Roll sensors require zero recalibration when switching between materials—switch from clear film to metallic foil instantly with no adjustment.
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.
Quick Answer:
Roll-2-Roll sensors detect edges on virtually any material including clear films, porous nonwovens, metallic foils, glass, mesh, and abrasive materials—without recalibration.
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.