Laser sensors measure height
of concrete blocks during manufacture

Micro-Epsilon's optoNCDT 1700 laser displacement sensor is being used to measure the height of concrete blocks during the production process.

German company R&W Industrieautomation has developed a special purpose, automated system for measuring the height of concrete blocks. The system is a fully automatic, in-process inspection system that records the height of concrete blocks during the production process. All components are integrated within the system itself; no additional hardware is needed. All that's required is a network interface and a power supply. The sensor can be operated within the entire network or can communicate with other systems. The user interface is intuitive, so no special skills are required to use it.

Micro-Epsilon's optoNCDT 1700 laser displacement sensor is being used to measure the height of concrete blocks during production.

R&W's height measurement system utilises Micro-Epsilon's optoNCDT 1700-500 laser displacement sensors. The measurement system is placed as close as possible behind the concrete block making machine, above the transport conveyor for the baseboards. The concrete blocks running below the device are scanned by the non-contact laser sensor and measured to an accuracy of +/- 0.5mm. At the same time, the blocks' baseboards represent the reference distance.

The optoNCDT 1700-500 sensor is customised for R&W in a double width enclosure. R&W integrates a powerful micro-controller with an Ethernet interface into the sensor, as well as digital I/Os. This complete automated measurement system enables complex evaluations of sensor data, communication with master control devices, as well as graphical data visualisation via web servers. This flexible, modular system enables cost effective customer-specific applications.

In this particular application, the sensor measuring range required was up to 500mm, with resolution down to 30mm. The sensor also had to be robust enough to withstand the harsh, dusty manufacturing environment. Very good suppression of extraneous light was also an important factor in sensor selection.

The optoNCDT 1700 is a non-contact laser displacement sensor that not only incorporates Micro-Epsilon's patented 'Real Time Surface Compensation' (RTSC) technology and remote software programming, but also offers excellent linearity and resolution. Integrated conditioning electronics enables the sensor to have a unique, compact design.

For poor reflecting targets, the measuring rate can be reduced to enable a longer exposure time. The set measurement rate always remains constant so that with closed-loop control the system response time is always the same.

As well as for precise measurement, the optoNCDT 1700 sensors are also used for tolerance or limit monitoring. Two switching points are available, which can be configured and adjusted via the remote software (USB connection). The switching hysteresis can also be individually adjusted for each limit point.

For further information, email: info@micro-epsilon.co.uk    Refer to page 76

Going straight with igus drylin linear range

Maintenance-free, wear, corrosion and dirt resistant, a low coefficient of friction and light in weight are all benefits of the igus drylin linear bearing range. 

Why?

Unlike re-circulating ball bearing systems, igus linear bearings operate on sliding plain bearings, this means that a larger surface area is available, resulting in lower surface pressures, which then give a lower friction, this then allows softer materials to be used such as, hard anodised aluminium, free-machining steel and 316 stainless steel.

In keeping with the igus "maintenance free" promise, all igus bearings are dry running, thus keeping applications free from grease, dirt and oil. Furthermore, the clever product is grit and debris repellent, purely because when in motion, all unwanted particles are flicked away, quite similar to a window wiper. In addition to this, the plain bearings operate with hardly any noise, much quieter than traditional linear bearings.

igus dylin linear bearings are used in a variety of industry sectors and applications, such as guide doors for machine tools, bottling machines in the food sector and filling and sealing machines - all of which now run dry with no maintenance. The drylin range offers a cost-effective solution, and all products are available from stock and can be delivered in 24 hours or on the same day.

A short video demonstrating the benefits of choosing igus drylin linear bearings can be viewed at: www.igus.co.uk/videos/iguslinearbearings For further information about igus products, and regular updates, view website: www.twitter.com/igusUK or www.igus.co.uk/youtube or www.igus.co.uk/facebook

Compact digital pressure gauges offer exceptional price/performance ratio

A range of low cost, battery-powered digital pressure gauges has been launched, which offers customers a direct, cost effective replacement for their existing, less accurate mechanical gauges.
 
The DM 10 range of battery-powered digital pressure gauges is available through Impress Sensors & Systems Ltd, a sensor and instrumentation specialist. The gauges are targeted at a wide range of applications, including hydraulics & pneumatics, process engineering, R&D/laboratory work, and mobile pressure monitoring, including mobile construction vehicles, tractors, pumps, compressors and filters. The gauges have a ceramic diaphragm and so are also suitable for environments in which aggressive chemicals are present.
 
Sam Drury, Sales & Marketing Director at Impress Sensors & Systems commented: "The DM 10 is a cost effective direct replacement for most mechanical pressure gauges. It has a 63mm diameter display, the same as common mechanical gauges, but the DM 10 offers higher accuracy, repeatability and reliability."   

The DM 10 is designed to be mounted easily and quickly in-situ. The 4.5 digit, 7-segment LC display can be rotated independently of the housing, providing the engineer with clear sight of the display at all times, regardless of the mounting configuration. The housing itself rotates 270 degrees about the horizontal axis.
 
The device is operated through a simple, menu-driven display via push buttons on a touchpad. As well as showing information about the nominal pressure range, the unit can display via the menu the maximum and minimum pressures of a process. "For example, an engineer may have a fault in the system and therefore needs to check what the maximum pressure reading on the gauge was. An increase in the system pressure from say 6 bar up to 10.5 bar may indicate an over-pressure problem within the process and this would be displayed on the gauge," Drury added.
 
Users can also choose which units of measurement they prefer, including bar, mbar, psi, mH₂O and MPa. Additional functions include auto-zero and an automatic switch-off, where the user can define between 1 and 5 minutes or select continuous operation.

For further information, e-mail: info@impress-sensors.co.uk    Refer to page 99 

Specialists FDB keep it simple with new mechanical combination lock

"KISS" is a well known injunction taken to heart daily by design engineers all over the world - and by the Panel Fittings specialists at FDB. This new Mechanical Combination Lock is designed to offer just that - simple fitment and simple operation with the benefits of a secure 4 digit user code. Designed as it is for use on an extensive range of metal and wooden cabinets, enclosures, cupboards, drawer units and other office/industrial equipment furniture - this intuitive mechanical code entry lock has a mechanical key override and the ability for the end user to set and change their own personal entry code. It is supplied with a choice of cams and can be set to left or right hand mode by the flick of a switch on the rear of the lock.

Standard features include user changeable code, mechanical key override and a comprehensive cam range to suit many door/frame depth combinations.

For further information, e-mail: info@fdb.co.uk  view website: www.fdb.co.uk  or follow on twitter: http://twitter.com/fdbpanelfitting  Refer to page 90 

Laser sensor measures surface
profile of key blanks prior to production

A specialist manufacturer of security keys is using high precision laser displacement sensors from Micro-Epsilon to measure the surface profile of key blanks prior to the production process.

Special processing units are required for the manufacture of security keys. During the production process, a permanent change between the key blanks takes place. German company Aumat specialises in the production of such keys. The processing units that are used to produce the key blanks rely on high-performance optoNCDT 2200 series laser sensors from Micro-Epsilon.

During the inlet of the different key blanks, the individual processing data is loaded from a database. Prior to production, the unit verifies if the blank is appropriate for the data in the unit. Therefore, a laser sensor traverses in the opposite direction to the key blank in order to achieve a profile of the surface of the blank. If the profile corresponds to the reference data, the key blank is released to be processed further.

Reliable acquisition of data on shiny or matt metal surfaces, as well as a high spatial resolution, is of special importance to the customer. Due to operational speeds, a measuring rate of 10kHz is required. Furthermore, a large base distance is also of important due to the mechanical design.

Due to its reliable performance measurement, Aumat decided to apply the optoNCDT 2200 laser sensor with a 10mm measuring range. The sensor achieves the required measuring rate of 10kHz, while also offering accurate, reliable measurement data results due to an integrated real time surface compensation (RTSC) feature.

The optoNCDT 2200 laser displacement sensor offers extremely high accuracy, high measuring rates and excellent signal stability, without any signal averaging. These sensors are world leaders in terms of their technical capabilities, enabling them to solve the most demanding measurement applications. The digital output signal can be combined with the IF2008 PCI card (also designed and supplied by Micro-Epsilon) to synchronise multiple sensors at high measuring speeds for easy data acquisition direct to a PC.

For further information, email: info@micro-epsilon.co.uk    Refer to page 76