Metal Processing Industry Color Detection Case: Atonm CL3 Color Sensor Solves Copper Strip Marking Detection Challenges

I. Customer Background

A metal precision processing enterprise mainly engages in the slitting and forming of metal coils such as copper strips and aluminum strips, which are used in electronic components, new energy batteries and other fields. In the automatic punching production line, it is necessary to conduct real-time detection of the red markings on the surface of copper strips during the uncoiling process to control the punching position accuracy. Due to problems such as unevenness and blurred edges of manually drawn markings, coupled with heavy oil contamination and metal dust in the workshop environment, traditional color sensors frequently generate false alarms, leading to frequent equipment shutdowns for adjustments and affecting production efficiency.

II. Customer Pain Points and Challenges

Detection Target Characteristics

The red markings on the surface of copper strips are manually drawn, suffering from issues like uneven color concentration, blurred edges and irregular shapes. Traditional sensors are prone to missed detection or misjudgment due to color difference fluctuations.

The detection is performed from bottom to top (with the sensor installed under the copper strip), requiring penetration through the reflective surface of the copper strip, which places high demands on the sensor's anti-reflective interference capability.

Complex Environmental Interference

Oil contamination and metal dust in the workshop adhere to the sensor lens for a long time, resulting in the attenuation of detection signals. Traditional sensors need frequent cleaning, leading to high maintenance costs.

Installation and Performance Requirements

The installation distance is fixed at 40mm, requiring the sensor to maintain stable detection accuracy at this distance.

The punching machine runs at a high speed (approximately 50m/min), requiring the sensor to have a response time of less than 1ms to avoid missed detection.

Historical Issues

A color sensor of a certain brand was previously used. Due to its poor oil resistance and inflexible threshold adjustment, it had a high false alarm rate, causing more than 20 shutdowns for calibration every month and resulting in approximately 5% of production capacity loss.

III. Solution: Atonm CL3 Color Mark Sensor

IV. Targeted Solution with Atonm CL3 Color Mark Sensor

To address the customer’s pain points, Atonm provides the CL3 high-precision color mark sensor. It features an integrated design with a compact size and supports two-point setup, offering both color and color mark detection modes with excellent performance. The adjustable detection hysteresis can eliminate the impact of measured object jitter. Its unique dual-mode function integrates both color and light intensity detection, ensuring more stable and reliable detection results.

V. Summary of Customer Value

The Atonm CL3 color mark sensor has solved the customer’s color mark detection challenges under complex working conditions, achieving a key breakthrough from "frequent false alarms causing shutdowns" to "stable detection with zero intervention". It provides a highly reliable reference solution for similar scenarios in the metal processing industry.