Calculate each section’s time window from its tracking-code timestamp and belt travel. For a belt section identified by a Data Matrix Code (DMC), calculate the process start timestamp as the DMC print timestamp plus the travel time from the printer to the relevant process point. Then calculate the process end timestamp by adding the section’s operational duration, based on process length, intermittent coating length, and belt speed.

Core takeaway: Use the DMC as the section’s time anchor, then translate physical distances and lengths into time using the belt speed applicable to each interval. This creates a traceable start–end window for linking temperature, wet-film-thickness, dry-film-thickness, and other sensor data to the correct electrode segment.

Establish the Traceability Time Anchor

Use the DMC timestamp as the section identifier

When a DMC is printed on or associated with a specific belt section, its timestamp, TS_DMC, becomes the reference point for that section’s downstream process history.

The DMC and its timestamp should remain uniquely linked to the physical foil segment throughout data collection and analysis.

Define the distance to the process reference point

Let D_DMC represent the distance from the DMC printer to the process point where the coating operation or sensor measurement begins.

The distance must be defined consistently. It should follow the material travel path and use the same reference locations whenever timestamps are calculated.

Calculate the Process Start Timestamp

Apply the belt-travel calculation

The process start timestamp is calculated as:

[ \mathrm{TS_{Process_start}}

\mathrm{TS_{DMC}} + \frac{\mathrm{D_{DMC}}}{\mathrm{BSTI}} ]

Where:

• TS_Process_start = calculated start time for the belt section’s process window
• TS_DMC = timestamp when the DMC is printed or registered
• D_DMC = distance from the DMC printer to the process reference point
• BSTI = belt speed during the relevant time interval

The term (D_{DMC}/BSTI) is the travel time required for the identified section to move from the DMC printer to the process reference point.

Use the applicable belt speed interval

The calculation should use the belt speed for the interval in which the section travels between the DMC printer and the process reference point.

If the belt speed changes materially, a single constant-speed calculation may not represent the actual travel time. In that case, the travel time should be determined from the relevant speed intervals rather than treating the entire movement as occurring at one speed.

Calculate the Process End Timestamp

Include both continuous and intermittent coating lengths

The process end timestamp is calculated as:

[ \mathrm{TS_{Process_end}}

\mathrm{TS_{Process_start}} + \frac{\mathrm{PL}+\mathrm{IL}}{\mathrm{BSTI}} ]

Where:

• PL = process length
• IL = intermittent coating length
• BSTI = belt speed during the operational interval

The total effective length is therefore PL + IL. Dividing that length by the belt speed converts the physical process duration into a time duration.

Define the complete section window

The resulting interval is:

[ [\mathrm{TS_{Process_start}},\ \mathrm{TS_{Process_end}}] ]

Sensor records whose timestamps fall within this interval can then be associated with the identified DMC-marked belt section, subject to the timing and measurement assumptions used by the equipment.

Link Sensor Data to the Identified Foil Segment

Correlate each sensor by timestamp

For each belt section, use the calculated start and end timestamps to select the corresponding readings from process sensors.

This enables measurements such as temperature, wet film thickness, and dry film thickness to be connected to the correct electrode segment rather than being treated as unassigned time-series data.

Preserve the section-level record

A traceability record should retain, at minimum:

• The DMC or tracking-code identity
• TS_DMC
• D_DMC
• The belt speed used for the start-time calculation
• PL and IL
• TS_Process_start
• TS_Process_end
• The sensor measurements associated with the calculated interval

This preserves both the result and the inputs used to derive it, making the association auditable.

Avoid data gaps at the process boundaries

The method creates a defined time window for every tracked section. Applying the same calculation consistently helps prevent sensor values from being disconnected from their corresponding physical foil segments.

Understanding the Trade-offs and Failure Modes

Variable belt speed can reduce timestamp accuracy

The formulas are straightforward when the belt speed is stable within the relevant interval. If speed varies, using an inappropriate average or outdated speed can shift the calculated process window.

The belt-speed value must therefore correspond to the movement interval being calculated.

Distance definitions must be unambiguous

An incorrect distance reference can create a systematic timing offset for every section. The measured distance should clearly identify the path from the DMC printer to the process or sensor reference point.

Clock synchronization is essential

The DMC timestamp and sensor timestamps must use a consistent time basis. A clock offset between equipment systems can cause correctly calculated transport times to produce incorrectly aligned sensor data.

Equipment and measurement delays may require validation

The equations represent material travel and process duration. They do not automatically account for unmodeled printer, sensor, communication, or data-recording delays.

The calculated windows should therefore be validated against known physical events or production samples before being used as the definitive traceability link.

Intermittent coating must be represented correctly

Omitting IL from the process-duration calculation can shorten the section window and exclude relevant readings. The process definition must consistently distinguish the process length from the intermittent coating length.

How to Apply This to Your Process

Use the following approach to implement the calculation:

• If your primary focus is section identification: Use the DMC timestamp as the unique anchor and calculate the start time from the printer-to-process distance divided by the applicable belt speed.
• If your primary focus is complete sensor coverage: Define the end time using ((PL + IL)/BSTI) so the entire operational length is included.
• If your primary focus is variable-speed production: Calculate transport time using the belt-speed intervals experienced by the section rather than assuming one constant speed.
• If your primary focus is auditability: Store the DMC, all input parameters, calculated timestamps, and linked sensor readings together.
• If your primary focus is reliable deployment: Validate distance references, clock synchronization, and equipment delays before relying on the calculated windows for production traceability.

With a consistent DMC anchor, verified distances, appropriate belt-speed data, and complete process lengths, each electrode belt section can be assigned a defensible sensor-data history from start to finish.

Summary Table:

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