Manufacturing Insight: How laser length & weight-to-length QA work together
Accurate footage isn’t a “nice to have”. It’s how we protect your process, your BOM, and your schedule. Here’s how our two independent checks keep labels honest and reels right.
Inline laser length (real-time control)
A non-contact laser encoder measures line speed and footage as wire runs. It flags slippage, tension changes, and stop/starts immediately, so operators can correct before a reel is finished.
Weight-to-length (physical cross-check)
After production, we verify footage by scale. We tare the reel, weigh the product, and calculate length from known weight-per-length (construction, strand count, plating thickness, compaction). This method validates the laser reading and accounts for tiny encoder drift or runtime anomalies.
Why use both?
Redundancy = confidence. Two different physics, one answer.
Label accuracy. Prevents under/over-footage surprises on your floor.
Fewer returns, faster audits. A clean trail from reel to report.
What tight QA looks like
NIST-traceable calibration (laser + scales) on a defined schedule
Verified reel tares recorded per lot
Temperature compensation and alloy/plating factors (BC, TC, NPC) baked into W/L
Exception thresholds that trigger rework or re-measure BEFORE shipping
Bottom line
Laser length controls the process; weight-to-length proves the result. Together, they keep your footage right and your production humming.