A sensor signal is generated from a plurality of sensors located on a sensing roll, wherein each signal is generated when each sensor enters a nip between the sensing roll and a mating roll during each rotation of the sensing roll. An oscillating component such as a doctor blade or cleaning shower affects a web of material upstream from the nip. Each sensor generates a sensor signal upon entering the nip. A periodically occurring starting reference is generated that is associated with each oscillation of the oscillating component and the signal generated by each sensor is received so that a particular one of the sensors which generated the signal is determined and one of a plurality of tracking segments associated with the oscillating component is identified. The signal is stored to associate the sensor signal with the identified one tracking segment.