Wear-free potentiometer
A segmented coil, encapsulated in a rod-shaped sensor housing, forms one part of this inductive position sensor. An aluminum measuring sleeve, attached to the load, comprises the other.
During operation, an oscillator excites the coil with alternating current, which induces eddy currents in the sleeve. The resulting short circuit situation creates different voltage drops down the segmented coil.
Summarized in an amplifier, the interval voltages generate a linear output signal proportional to measuring sleeve position. Benefits include no mechanical contact between sleeve and sensor rod, the ability to withstand severe operating conditions, and compact size the sensor is only a little longer
than its measuring range.
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Patented vip SENSOR eliminates mechanical wear. Exact concentrical guidance of the sleeve on the sensor housing is not required. |
Industrial applications include measurement of
displacement, deformation, clearance, and level. |
Martin Dumberger, Micro-Epsilon, 805 Spring Forest Rd., Ste. 600, Raleigh, NC 27609; (919) 954-8888.
On-the-fly sizing
Less expensive than a machine vision system, this high-resolution light curtain permits simple and affordable measuring, inspection, and profiling. Three components make the system: a sensor emitter, receiver, and one of four control modules.
Each emitter and receiver contains two columns of infrared LEDs. The smallest emitter has 64 independent beam channels, and the largest, 768. Sensor beam spacing and minimum object detection size are 2.5 mm.
The control module, custom configured via PC, lets users gate multiple systems in a "daisy chain," adjust hysteresis to smooth outputs as targets jiggle, and select alarm outputs. Proprietary scanning and transmission algorithms monitor several hundred beam channels in series with minimal sacrifice in response time or overall object detection capability.
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Good for object profiling, edge and center guiding, product inspection, and similar applications, the A-GAGETM MINI-ARRAYTM precisely measures the size or position of targeted objects. |
| The system features several scanning modes; an alignment TEACH button allows optimum alignment and blanking setup in seconds—without a host PC. |
Chris Benson, Banner Engineering Corp., 9714 Tenth Ave. North, Minneapolis, MN 55441; (612) 544 3164.
Submit your ideas and rough drawings for this section to John Lewis, Designer's Corner, Design News, 275 Washington St., Newton, MA 02458
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