Sensor solutions for foils and thin strip materials

Manufacturers of films and similar thin strip materials are usually faced with global

competition, which presents each individual entrepreneur with numerous productionrelated and therefore also economic challenges. Against this backdrop of high energy and raw material prices, it is becoming increasingly important to manufacture and process specific products with a high degree of process reliability. However, a high level of process reliability can often only be achieved at many production levels with sensor technology that is optimally adapted to the respective application, if not specialized.

Plastic and aluminum foils as well as comparable products have very different material and surface properties: transparent, opaque, high-gloss, matt, monochrome, multicolored, light, dark, extremely thin, embossing with fine or rough surface structures, special coatings, and, and, and. The list could probably be continued at this point with a whole series of other features.

It is these properties in particular that repeatedly make the detection of different

materials difficult and often place demanding requirements on the sensor technology

in practice. In this context, very fast-running processes in production and further

processing usually have to be taken into account, which demand a great deal from

the corresponding sensor solutions in terms of precision and response time alone.

In view of the complex tasks associated with this for sensor technology, be it presence monitoring, web edge control, thickness measurement, diameter determination, length measurement, etc., it is not always easy to find a truly optimal solution for a specific application.

One advantage of ipf electronic as a sensor specialist that should not be underestimated in this context is its extremely diverse range of very different technologies. Whether optical scanners, ultrasonic sensors, line cameras, contrast sensors, light barriers or displacement measuring systems, with the comprehensive portfolio of proven solutions, almost every task and real challenges in all conceivable processes can be mastered. Added to this are decades of application experience in various industries and thus valuable know-how from which customers can benefit in numerous applications.

This white paper provides a representative overview of ipf electronic‘s sensor solutions for monitoring a wide range of processes in the production of films and other thin strip materials.