Optris has introduced two compact, stainless steel housed infra red sensors that are capable of measuring temperatures from -20°C to 350°C. The CS and CSmicro series combine high accuracy with ruggedness, all an attractive price per measuring point. In fact, these new sensors are approximately half the price of the company’s standard infra-red temperature measuring devices. The technology was developed for OEM customers who, to date, may have avoided infra red measurement due to its relative high cost.
The M12 size CS has a diameter of 14mm and a length of 87mm, and comes with integrated electronics, LED display and a smart sighting support. It is a rugged device, benefiting from coated silicon optics and so can be used in ambient temperatures of up to 75°C, without cooling. Further features include a scalable analogue output of 0-10V or 0-5V, adjustable signal processing, short circuit and polarity reversal protection, and a USB programming interface. The M12 size CSmicro is even more compact, with a diameter of 14mm and length of 28mm. In this case, however, the processing electronics are integrated in the sensor cable itself, allowing the smaller sensor dimension to be achieved.
In addition to providing all the features of the ‘CS, the CSmicro goes further and provides a programmable simultaneous alarm output for fast analysis and switching operations. Both sensors offer a fast response time of 30ms. Typical list price for a standard sensor is around £116, with the CSmicro at around £156, depending on the volume purchased. These products are available in the UK through Micro-Epsilon.