Roll Tagger

Map it on the rewind. Remove it on the unwind.

Roll Tagger builds a digital map of every roll as it winds — recording defects, splices, and quality events at precise positions. On the unwind, that map drives automated waste removal. No physical tags. No manual watching. The system runs entirely on-premise using industrial Revolution Pi controllers with dual encoder inputs for sub-millimetre position precision.

What Roll Tagger does

Rewind mapping

As material winds onto the roll, Roll Tagger records every millimetre. Dual encoder data calculates real-time diameter, thickness, speed, and rotation count — building a precise digital twin of the roll.

Automated unwind waste removal

On the unwind, Roll Tagger loads the rewind map and plays it back against the live encoder feed. Events trigger configurable machine actions — stop, jog, or skip — eliminating manual watching.

Multi-process defect tracking

Track defects through multiple processes and remove at the final operation such as slitting. Full roll lineage and parent-child traceability across every production station.

Wind verification

Automatic quality checks at every 10-wind milestone comparing actual to expected position from the source rewind map. Deviation alerts for positional anomalies.

Queue management

Three-queue architecture (input, output, backlog) for multi-station workflows. Rolls transfer automatically between devices via .rtag file handoffs over the local network.

Machine interfaces and MES integration

Digital I/O to interface with vision systems, splice detectors, and turret rewinders. REST API and batch CSV import for MES/ERP integration.

Explore Roll Tagger

The events that give a defect its meaning

Roll Tagger is the plant I/O interface for the roll record. Beyond encoder position and roll identity, it captures the handful of events that let Roll Grader read every defect in the context of the line.

Job start and endAnchors the startup template and names the product whose rules apply
Line speed setpoint changeShifts drying, tension and gauge, and every MD-to-time conversion
Roll change and spliceA new substrate roll means a new genealogy link and a tension transient
Consumable changeScreen pack, doctor blade, anilox, cylinder, slitter blade, adhesive batch: resets the ageing clock
Setpoint changeMelt, die, dryer, nip, tension, impression: an expected, lagged response
Stop and restartRestart is a mini-startup; a stop marks dwell damage at the dryer or nip
Operator confirmationOne-tap feedback on the advisor's diagnosis, which tunes the cause tables

Sources: PLC over OPC UA or digital I/O, MES over MQTT/UNS, and the operator terminal. Where the PLC feed is not yet logged, the operator terminal covers job start and consumable changes on day one.

At a glance

Encoder sampling100ms intervals
Position precisionSub-millimetre
ControllerRevolution Pi Connect 4
Encoder interfaceRS485 Modbus RTU
I/O expansion14 DI / 14 DO (RevPi DIO)
Data storageLocal SQLite, offline-first
IntegrationREST API, digital I/O, CSV
UIBrowser-based (React + WebSocket)
LicensingPerpetual, per line and per device