ABSTRACT

The design and development of a new fiber-optic sensor for measuring the velocity
of a continuous material (also called a web) in material processing systems is described.
The development of the proposed sensor is based on the dual beam laser Doppler
velocimetry technique and the unique properties of different types of optical fibers. The
developed sensor is capable of measuring the true web transport velocity as opposed to
the existing methods which infer web transport velocity based on the roller angular
speed. Since the sensor design utilizes fibers, signal processing can be performed away
from the measurement area, and as a result the sensor can be used in harsh
environments within the web processing line. The proposed sensor has been
constructed and experiments have been conducted on an experimental web platform.
The performance of the sensor is evaluated for a range of web velocities and different
web materials. Sensor design, its construction, and a representative sample of the
results are presented and discussed.

The term web is used to describe materials which are manufactured and
processed in a continuous, flexible strip form. Web materials cover a broad spectrum of
products in everyday use, from extremely thin plastics to paper, textiles, polymers,
metals, and composites. Web handling refers to the physical mechanics related to the
transport and control of web materials through processing machinery. Web handling
systems facilitate transport of the web while it is being processed, which is typically an
operation specific to the particular web product. For example, in the case of webs used
for many consumer products, the web is coated, printed, and or laminated. A typical
operation involves transporting a web in rolled, unfinished form from an unwind roll to a
rewind roll through processing machinery, where the required processing operations are
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performed. The web is transported over rollers in a process line; some rollers are driven
using motors to provide web transport and some are idle rollers that provide support to
the web during transport. The quality of the finished web depends on how well it is
handled on the rollers during transport. Lateral position, transport velocity and tension of
the web are controlled during transport.

A fiber-optic sensor, based on the principle of laser Doppler velocimetry, for measuring
the velocity of the web in material processing lines is proposed in this paper. The sensor
is capable of providing accurate, absolute measurement when compared to existing
sensors. The sensor design with optical fibers provides flexibility and ease of alignment
when compared to the use of conventional optics. A detailed construction of the
proposed sensor was presented. The performance of the proposed sensor was validated
on an experimental web line with different web materials transported at different
velocities. The experimental results indicate that the fiber-optic sensor is suitable for
measuring the true web velocity for different web materials. Currently, the use of
advanced signal processing circuitry which is capable of providing real-time velocity
measurement with high resolution is being investigated. The fiber-optic sensor is
relatively more expensive compared to the tachometer or encoder, and its use in
feedback control is not possible currently. But the fiber-optic sensor cost is expected to
reduce over time due to technological advancements in the fiber-optic industry. Some of
the recent challenges in the web handling industry include transport of thin and delicate
webs under low tension conditions. A good example is roll-to-roll manufacture of flexible
display panels. It is expected that the fiber-optic sensor would provide an accurate
measurement

for

high

performance

feedback

control

tachometer/encoder in such special web handling applications.

compared

to

the