Dedicated Solution: Tension Measurement for van Wees
Tension measurement in technical textiles with Van Wees
Yarn tension measurement plays a central role in the technical textiles and composites industry. On a glass roving creel, several yarns unwind simultaneously. Machine builders, therefore, look for ways to control each yarn individually. Van Wees, a specialist in machines for technical textiles and composites, describes individual tension control as the holy grail of tangential fibres unwinding from a creel. For a long time, they had searched for sensor technologies to measure these types of parameters, but they were unable to find a reasonably priced solution that met their needs.
From torque sensor to yarn tension measurement
Through the electric bicycle industry and IDbike, van Wees discovered that torque measurement is a crucial function in pedal assistance in e-bikes. A torque sensor measures the force a rider applies to the pedals and translates this to the motor for optimal assistance. It must remain stable and robust over many years while staying at a reasonable price level. IDbike has spent over 25 years developing torque sensors for e-bikes and refining the balance between performance and cost, creating a solid foundation for an innovative approach to yarn tension measurement.
Developing the yarn tension sensor with Van Wees
In close cooperation with van Wees, IDbike utilised this expertise to develop a custom force sensor specifically designed for yarn tension measurement on glass roving creels. The teams worked together on the design, calibration, and integration of this yarn tension sensor. Today, van Wees uses it on most of the machines it sells, as well as on the creels in its research and technology centre, where it has become a practical tool for process optimisation and development that supports both customers and internal projects.
Forcesure as the next step in dedicated tension solutions
Forcesure stands on this foundation. The people behind Forcesure are the same team that created the TMM torque sensor and the dedicated yarn tension sensor at IDbike. Forcesure was created to expand this expertise in dedicated force-sensing solutions beyond the e-bike market and make similar custom developments available to a broader audience. The collaboration with van Wees is one of the first clear examples of this transition. The dedicated yarn tension sensor shows how knowledge from bicycle torque sensing can solve a very specific challenge in composite-related production and connects IDbike’s history with Forcesure’s future focus on industrial force sensors and dedicated solutions.
Databolt in UD tape machinery
The next step in this collaboration focuses on machine components in units that produce UD tapes. Van Wees indicated to use Forcesure’s Databolt for measuring the loading parts in these units. Databolt is a smart bolt that measures tension in the bolt itself, and together with van Wees and Forcesure will explore how Databolt can support load measurement in selected parts of the UD tape machines, extending the same philosophy from yarn tension measurement to load measurement in structural parts of the machine.
For Van Wees, the yarn tension sensor makes individual tension measurement on a creel a practical reality. It fits their glass roving lines, respects cost limits and supports both delivered machines and in-house development. The same mindset now extends to load measurement with Databolt in UD tape units. For Forcesure, these steps show what dedicated solutions mean in practice. Knowledge that started in IDbike torque sensing now supports tension measurement and load measurement in new industries and applications, and forms the basis for future collaborations around custom force sensors.
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