Textile tension sensor: roller load cells for fabric and inline sensors for single yarns

01

Specify a roller tension sensor for fabric

FMS Force Measuring Systems builds its tension force sensors from strain gauges in a full Wheatstone bridge on double bending beams, with stainless steel or high-strength aluminium bodies and mechanical overload protection; its amplifier supplies 5 VDC excitation. Its shared technical data list overload protection to 10 times nominal force, repeatability error below 0.1% of nominal force, a temperature coefficient of ±0.1% per 10 K, −10 to 60 °C operation and 1 to 10 VDC supply, with accuracy classes of ±0.3% or ±0.5% of nominal force and measuring ranges listed from 20:1 to 500:1 depending on the series. [1]

FMS groups its range by how the roller is carried: force-measuring bearings for live or dead shafts, pillow-block force measuring blocks for web and strip tension, cantilever force-measuring rollers, and pulley sensors for filament, fibre and strand. [1] [2] Precision Converting's LC through-shaft detector, for idler or live rolls, lists 10 VDC excitation, 350 Ω full-bridge strain gauges, combined hysteresis, repeatability and non-linearity error below 0.50%, maximum output of 150% and maximum overload of 500% of rated load. [3]

Editorial calculation: with a 30:1 measuring range (one of the listed values), a sensor of 1,000 N nominal force reads down to about 33 N; overload protection of 10 times nominal (FMS) against 500% of rated load (LC detector) is a factor of two in shock margin, so state the worst-case roller load, including web breaks and roller weight, when choosing the rating.

Give the supplier the fabric, width and tension range, roller diameter, length and weight, wrap angle, shaft type (live, dead, or no shaft), mounting space, speed, temperature and environment, the controller or amplifier input, and whether one or two sensors per roller are wanted.

02

Specify an inline sensor for single yarns

Shanghai Lanbao's TWF-H101TGU yarn tension sensor lists a 0–100 cN tension range, 0.5–10 VDC output, 12–24 VDC supply, current consumption below 10 mA, accuracy below 5% of full scale, 10–50 °C operation without condensation, polarity and short-circuit protection, an aluminium alloy shell and polished Al₂O₃ ceramic parts where the yarn runs. [4]

Editorial calculation: 100 cN is 1 N full scale. [4] Editorial note: for yarn, ask for the yarn count range, the guide material in contact with the yarn, the response time and the sensor's mounting relative to the yarn path.

03

Match the sensor body to how the roller is carried

FMS sorts its range by the roller arrangement it has to carry: live shafts, dead shafts, rolls without a shaft, pulleys, and cantilever rollers. [2] Its data sheet names the series behind those cases: force-measuring bearings, compact bearings for rollers without a shaft, pillow-block force measuring blocks for web and for strip tension, fully configurable cantilever force-measuring rollers, and small to heavy-duty sensors for pulleys carrying filament, fibre and strand. [1] Precision Converting's LC through-shaft detector is offered for idler rollers and live round rolls and can be fixed to the machine bracket or mounted from below. [3]

Editorial note: the rating to compare is the force each sensor sees at its own mounting, which depends on wrap angle and roller weight as well as web tension; ask the supplier to size it from your roller drawing.

04

Roller sensors and a yarn sensor, rating by rating

05

Send the material, roller and signal data together

Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.

Measure: [fabric web or single yarn]
Tension: [range; worst-case load]
Roller: [diameter; length; weight; wrap angle]
Mounting: [live, dead or no shaft; pillow block; cantilever; inline]
Signal: [output; amplifier or controller input]
Environment: [temperature; moisture; IP]
Yarn: [count range; guide material]

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