At this year’s Mtec 2008 exhibition (13-14 February 2008), sensor manufacturer Micro-Epsilon will be showcasing a range of unique sensor products. The stand will include ‘live’ working demonstrations of sensor products solving real-world measurement problems.
New to the stand this year is the company’s miniature confocal sensor, the optoNCDT 2402. This new range of miniature confocal displacement measurement sensors has a diameter of just 4mm (standard sensor diameters are 27mm), making the sensors ideal for measuring inside confined spaces, including narrow cavities, drilled holes and bores. As well as axial measurement, the new range also includes a 90º version, enabling users to measure (radially) the inner surfaces of small components or bores.
Visitors to the stand will also be able to look at the new controller for the 2401 confocal series, the IFC 2401. This controller incorporates a super-bright LED light source and USB 2.0 interface for high-speed data transfer and configuration of the controller. The sensor also has analogue interfaces for easy integration into the customer’s application.
Micro-Epsilon will also be demonstrating its new simplified user software for the scanCONTROL 2810, the company’s 2D/3D laser line sensor. The sensor itself is capable of measuring up to 256,000 points per second up to 4kHz. The new easy-to-use software will enable machine builders, systems integrators and end users to more easily adapt and configure the system for different applications. No special software programming skills are required and the system offers very high speeds and accuracies, enabling end users to inspect their products in-process in real time. Triggers and alarms can be set up using the software, so that when limits or tolerances are exceeded, users are alerted.
Typical applications for the sensor system include weld seam inspection; glue bead inspection; door edge detection; angle measurement; step and height measurement; planarity and surface control on PCBs; robot guidance and positioning; and groove width and depth measurement.