How laser length & weight-to-length QA work together

Written By Taylor Newman

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.

Taylor Newman
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