Waste Not, Wobble Not
Higher demands are being put on tension sensors for accuracy, repeatability, wide measurement range, and stability over the long term. Ensuring you have the right sensors for the job is also critical. “Machine designers require higher product diversity, production speed, acceleration rates, and to this end we see more process automation and especially direct coupled drives,” says Bob Sarnelli, marketing manager, ABB. “Sensor feedback to the drives for web tension control is critical in order to maintain product quality during fast acceleration and high production speeds.” Hardy adds, “There are many new sensors and controllers which are available in the marketplace today. Many end users are replacing dancer systems with advanced load cells, and generally taking advantage of improved technology. User-friendly controllers make custom programming and constant monitoring simple and easy.