laser type analog dancer for drive trim

anyone have a idea on who makes a laser type analog output sensor that could be used to detect the position of fabric and trim a AC drive? Director of our group is dead set on being able to trim the fabric speed but can not have anything such as a dance assembly etc. contacting the fabric. I have searched the net, but not much luck. Anyone ever used anything like this and would share would be great.Thanks

Banner.

keyence makes laser distance meters, they triangulate the beam that is coming back,
another way is to have optocoupling, like the old pdp tapemachines have with a vacuum loop.
another one is a safety curtain type.
and if needed very high precision in the 0.01 mm range i have a solution with a position sensor working optical

I meant Keyence too, not Banner.

I like the Omron ZX1 laser sensors. They come with analog output and resolution down to 0.01mm.

Be careful what laser sensor you choose. Many time of flight lasers have an update rate that would be too slow for most loop control purposes. The Triangulation lasers work well but have only a limited range, Keyence would be my choice too.

Depending on the dynamics of your system, an ulrasonic distance sensor might be a better bet.

Nick

I've had some recent positive experience with a few IFM Efector 01D100 distance sensors. Great little units and around $500 with accessories.
But I've never tried something like these in place of a dancer or loadcells.

thanks, have banner and keyence rep coming in later this week.
Now have a question i hope someone can possible help with. Originally the boss wanted this analog sensor to trim only one motor. Now he wants the system designed so that this analog sensor will trim the speed of all drives. There will be a total of 3 drives that will need to be trimmed with this one sensor. it looks like i will now have to feed this sensor into the plc and then trim the output to each drive.
Brain dead and not exactly sure how to bring in a analog signal of 4-20ma and trim the line speed a + and - percentage.
Any thoughts from anyone that may have done something like this. When i get in the office going to work at trying to get this part figured out, but just not sure how you can send a motor a analog output that is scaled in the plc to run a line speed and then if the analog sensor is in the middle then the value from the analog sensor would be 12ma. The only thing i can think of at the moment is do sometype of compare but still not quite sure how to accomplish this. Not asking to tell me how to do it, but any ideas would be appreciated that may help me get in the right direction.
Thanks

Not analog, but laser for field bus.
Please zoom the document if needed.

3 motors meaning three rollers, this will break the sheet, so please use three sensors.

thanks for info.