Enhanced Optical Measurement and Stress Quantification of Film Roll Wrinkling in Roll-to-Roll Processing

CSME 2025/06
Volume 46 No.3 : 223-231

Enhanced Optical Measurement and Stress Quantification of Film Roll Wrinkling in Roll-to-Roll Processing

Shih-Chen Shi ^a, Hung-Wei Rao ^b and Dieter Rahmadiawan ^c
^aDepartment of Mechanical Engineering,National Cheng Kung University, 70101 Tainan,Taiwan
^bDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 70101 Tainan, Taiwan
^cDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 70101 Tainan, Taiwan ; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Negeri Padang, 25173 Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

Abstract: Roll-to-roll (R2R) processing is a widely used continuous manufacturing technique for flexible materials. However, the formation of longitudinal ridges, known as "tin-canning," remains a challenge, leading to uneven coating thickness, surface defects, and increased production costs. Currently, there are limited methods for real-time quantification of tin-canning during production. This study introduces an optical measurement system to quantify film wrinkling through image processing. A chessboard calibration corrects lens distortion, and a mathematical model reconstructs the cross-sectional profile of wrinkles. The system achieves an amplitude error of less than 9% and a wavelength error of less than 2%. Additionally, the critical tensile stress at ridges is determined using buckling stress formulas and finite element modeling (FEM). The results provide insights into film ridging mechanisms and stress distributions, enhancing quality control in R2R manufacturing.

Keywords: Stress quantification; Roll-to-roll processing; Soft film; Film wrinkling; Optical measurement

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