Real-Time Laser Monitoring for Smarter Production

BeamTracker is a laser part counter for production lines. It fires an invisible laser across the path units travel, and each unit that breaks the beam registers a count with a timestamp. The time between counts decides whether the line is running or stopped, against a downtime filter you set. From that stream IoTFlows reports part counts and throughput, utilization and OEE, and downtime with the reason for each stop, with no PLC connection.

BeamTracker counts with ±2% count accuracy. The beam reaches up to 8 m (26 ft) and resolves distance to the millimetre, and calibration sets exactly what counts as a part: how far the detection zone reaches, the thinnest part to count and how heavily readings are averaged.

Up to 8 m (26 ft) from the device to the part path. The surface the beam lands on when nothing passes must be at least 7 cm away, and the detection zone is set in front of it during calibration, so anything moving behind the line is ignored.

Units moving one way along a fixed path: bottles, cans, bags, packets, tubes, cartons and cases on a packaging line, parts leaving a press at the exit chute, and finished units on a cell’s out-feed. Each unit needs to be larger than the laser point and opaque enough to block it; for clear glass or film, aim at the closure, the label band or the filled body, or count cases downstream.

No. BeamTracker stands alone: it counts what crosses its beam and sends the counts to the IoTFlows cloud over Wi-Fi or the IoTFlows 4G/LTE router, so nothing is wired into the machine’s controls.

BeamTracker bolts on with its mount in 10 to 20 minutes. Connect the antenna, fasten the bracket where every good unit passes the beam and nothing else does, aim the front face square across the part path and power it over M12. It is set up from its own touchscreen, joins the IoTFlows 4G/LTE router on its own or plant Wi-Fi from the IoTFlows mobile app, and IoTFlows ties each sensor to its asset during onboarding.

BeamTracker when you want the units a line or a step actually produced, counted as they pass a point. SenseAi when you want counts from a machine’s own cycle and its vibration health; SenseAi Embedded for a motor or spindle in coolant or washdown. Many plants use both: SenseAi on the machines and BeamTracker on the lines.

Yes. BeamTracker is sealed to IP67: dustproof and protected against immersion to 1 m (3 ft) for 30 minutes, so washdown, coolant and spray do not harm it, and its industrial M12 connector locks against vibration. Mount it where the beam has a clear run across the line.

Over an industrial M12 connector, at 4.5 to 28 V DC. Plug an M12 power adapter into a standard 100 to 240 V AC outlet, or share one adapter between BeamTrackers mounted close together with an M12 T-splitter, with an M12 extension cable of 1 to 3 m (3 to 10 ft) where the adapter will not reach.

On the IoTFlows web dashboard, the iOS and Android apps and Google TV screens on the floor. Counts, rate, uptime, OEE and downtime update live, with history by day, week, month, quarter or year, exports to CSV and PDF, and the REST API for your own systems.

Yes. Event rules alert when a line goes down, stays down past the minutes you set or starts again, and when a device goes offline, by email, push, SMS, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord or a webhook. Production-count meters in Maintain email as a count nears an inspection and open the work order when it is due.

Yes. Data is encrypted at every step: from the device at the edge, in transit over TLS with SHA-256 certificates, and at rest in the IoTFlows cloud. The 4G/LTE router can keep the devices off the plant network entirely. Access is by organization, role and machine list, with two-step authentication on every account.

$299 per BeamTracker, once, then a subscription per device per month. Pro is $119 billed monthly, $99 on an annual plan paid upfront and $59.50 on a three-year plan paid upfront, for 1 to 9 devices, with lower prices from 10 and from 25 devices. 50 or more devices are quoted. The BeamTracker pricing page has every option.

Every BeamTracker carries a one-year limited warranty. The IoTFlows team ties each device to its asset and helps you calibrate it during onboarding, and the BeamTracker guides cover installation, calibration and troubleshooting.

ROI typically comes in under three months. Customers see 35% less unplanned downtime in the first six months.

Yes. A pilot puts IoTFlows on 10 to 25 machines for four weeks with no commitment to buy, on the same sensors and dashboard you would keep afterwards. Your first BeamTracker is free; more BeamTrackers are $299 each.