Paper Roll Diameter Posted in: Diameter Measurement – Tags: AR100, Automation, Lumber Timber and Wood Products
Last Updated: March 6, 2026
Acuity laser sensors are used in the paper industry to measure the diameter of paper rolls to determine the amount of material present. As a very large roll of paper winds off to smaller individual rolls, manufacturers must ensure that the smaller rolls have enough material present to be able to sell.
When selecting a measurement sensor tool, paper manufactures demand two things. The measurement tool must have enough range to fully measure the wind up distance of the roll and have a small enough resolution to determine one additional layer of material. Acuity’s AR100 laser triangulation sensor is well suited for this type of measurement. The AR100-500 model has a 500 mm (~20 in.) range and boasts a resolution of 0.02% of the measurement range. The sensor’s fast, 9.4kHz sampling rate, compact size, and precision at a cost-effective price, provide a quality sensor for this application.
Calculating Coil Length in Rolls
Acuity sensors are ideal for measuring metal roll length. But the equations are the same for any material, so if you need to monitor your paper roll diameter, we’ve created a step-by-step tutorial.
Related Products
AR100 Super Compact Laser Triangulation Sensor
The AR100 is one of the smallest laser measurement sensors in the world. The ultra-compact AR100 comes with ranges from 10mm (0.4 in.) to 500mm (19.7 in.) with a single case size. It can take 9,400 measurements per second and has a linearity of ± 0.05% of the full measurement range for most models. In short, the AR100 is perfect for applications with tight size and mass budgets that can’t sacrifice performance.
Sarah has been our technical support and sales engineer for 5+ years. If you've ever reached out to Acuity Laser for tech support, more than likely, Sarah is the one who helped you.