In which industries are online thickness gauges used

Source：m.uninorths.com.cn Release date： 2026-01-05

Online thickness gauges are devices that utilize technologies such as lasers, ultrasonic waves, radiation, and eddy currents to achieve real-time detection of material thickness, data feedback, and closed-loop control during the production process. Their core value lies in ensuring product thickness uniformity, enhancing production efficiency, and reducing material loss. They are widely used in the following industrial manufacturing and processing industries:
1. Metal processing industry
It is the core application area of online thickness gauges, covering the entire production process of metal plates, foils, and tubes.
Cold-rolled/hot-rolled steel plates and aluminum plates: The production line monitors the thickness of the plates in real-time, with data being synchronously transmitted to the rolling mill control system. The rolling pressure is dynamically adjusted to ensure that the thickness tolerance meets national standards or customer requirements.
Metal foil materials (copper foil, aluminum foil): used in the production of ultra-thin materials such as lithium battery copper foil and electrolytic aluminum foil. Laser thickness gauges can accurately detect micron-level thickness, avoiding issues such as uneven thickness affecting battery performance or foil tearing.
Seamless steel pipes and welded pipes: Ultrasonic thickness gauges are used to detect the wall thickness of pipes and identify defects such as internal corrosion and external scratches, making them suitable for online quality inspection of oil and natural gas pipelines.
2. Rubber and plastic products industry
Given the flexible and easily deformable characteristics of rubber and plastic, non-contact thickness measurement technology is suitable.
Film/Sheet (BOPP Film, PVC Sheet): In film production lines, laser thickness gauges are used for real-time monitoring of film thickness, commonly applied to high-precision products such as food packaging films and lithium battery separators.
Rubber products (tire tread, conveyor belt): During tire production, the thickness of the tread rubber is measured to ensure the tire's wear resistance; during conveyor belt production, the uniformity of the belt thickness is monitored to enhance the load-bearing capacity and service life of the conveyor belt.
Foam materials (EVA foam, sponge): Measure the thickness of foam materials, control product density and cushioning performance, suitable for packaging, building materials, and other fields.
3. Paper making and printing industry
Ensuring consistency in paper thickness directly affects printing quality and paper strength.
Base paper, cultural paper, and packaging paper: Both the wet and dry sections of the paper machine are equipped with online thickness gauges to monitor paper thickness in real time, adjust the slurry flow rate and press pressure, and avoid printing color differences and paper jams caused by uneven paper thickness.
Specialty paper (thermal paper, release paper): Inspect the coating thickness to ensure the color sensitivity of thermal paper and the stability of peel force of release paper.
4. Building materials industry
Covering bulk building materials such as sheet materials, glass, and waterproofing membranes.
Glass (float glass, tempered glass): The float glass production line employs a laser thickness gauge to measure the thickness of raw glass sheets, catering to diverse specifications such as architectural glass and automotive glass.
Board materials (gypsum board, calcium silicate board, MDF): Monitor the thickness of the boards during production, control their strength and flatness, and avoid any impact on construction and installation due to thickness deviations.
Waterproofing membrane (SBS/APP modified asphalt membrane): Inspect the thickness of the membrane and the thickness of the base layer to ensure that the waterproofing performance meets the standards of building engineering.
5. Electronics and semiconductor industry
It is suitable for high-precision, micro- and nano-level thickness detection requirements.
PCB circuit board: Inspect the thickness of copper foil and insulating layer on the circuit board to ensure the conductivity and voltage resistance of the circuit.
Semiconductor wafers and chip packaging: The thickness of the wafer oxide layer and the thickness of the chip packaging adhesive are measured using an optical interferometric thickness gauge to control the performance stability of semiconductor devices.
Display screen (LCD/OLED panel): Inspect the thickness of the panel glass substrate, polarizer, and backlight layer to ensure uniform brightness and touch sensitivity of the display screen.
6. New energy industry
With the development of the lithium battery and photovoltaic industries, it has become a key quality inspection equipment.
Lithium battery: Detecting the thickness of the electrode coating and separator directly affects the energy density and safety of the battery; monitoring the wall thickness of the aluminum/steel battery case to avoid the risk of short circuit caused by case deformation.
Photovoltaic modules: Inspect the thickness of photovoltaic glass and EVA film, ensure the module's light transmittance and packaging sealability, and enhance the power generation efficiency of photovoltaic panels.
7. Packaging industry
Thickness detection of multi-layer structure for composite packaging materials.
Composite film (aluminum-plastic composite film, paper-plastic composite film): Measure the thickness of each layer and the total thickness to ensure the barrier properties (moisture-proof, anti-oxidation) and heat sealing performance of the packaging, suitable for food and pharmaceutical packaging.
Metal cans and plastic bottles: Inspect the thickness of the can and bottle walls, and control the packaging strength and corrosion resistance.
8. Textile and nonwoven industry
Measure the thickness of flexible materials such as non-woven fabrics and leather.
Nonwoven fabric (medical mask fabric, geotextile): Test the thickness of nonwoven fabric, control its grammage and filtration efficiency. For example, the thickness of the meltblown layer in the middle of a medical mask directly affects the virus filtration effect.
Leather and artificial leather: Test the uniformity of leather thickness to ensure the texture and durability of leather products.

Previous What are the applicable scenarios of needle flame…

Next When is a colorimeter suitable for use