Quick Answer:
The sensor mounts on the coating head carriage, tracking the metal foil edge. As the foil drifts, the coating head chases it—maintaining coating registration without stressing the delicate substrate.
In Li-Ion battery electrode coating, the coating must align precisely with the current collector foil. Steering the foil creates stress and wrinkles that cause defects. Instead, Roll-2-Roll® Sensors enable coating head chasing:
- Sensor placement: ODC 96 or similar mounts directly on the coating carriage
- Edge tracking: the sensor images the foil upstream of the coating head, and the controller computes the edge position from each frame
- Dynamic alignment: If the foil drifts, the coating head moves to follow, keeping the bead position repeatable relative to the foil edge
The benefit: No mechanical stress on the foil, no wrinkles, no electrode misalignment. This is critical for preventing lithium plating defects in finished cells.