The capacitive measuring principle is one of the traditional methods used for distance, displacement and position measurement. Considered as one of the most reliable and thermally stable of the non-contact displacement measuring techniques, capacitive sensors achieve resolutions well below one nanometre.
Contrary to what many engineers may think, non-contact capacitive displacement sensors are not only suitable for use in clean environments such as laboratories, clean rooms and operating theatres. The latest sensors are designed to operate in dirty, dusty industrial environments too. Modular designed sensors with threaded bodies are also available, which simplifies mounting of the sensors in industrial or process manufacturing environments.
Read the rest of the article in the July issue of DPA