Launch of profile sensor for online measurement and inspection systems

Citation

(2004), "Launch of profile sensor for online measurement and inspection systems", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 51 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2004.12851bad.004

Launch of profile sensor for online measurement and inspection systems

Launch of profile sensor for online measurement and inspection systems

Keywords: Sensors, Measurement, Lasers

Micro Epsilon (ME) and Applied Industrial Systems (AIS) have launched a new sensor for online profile and contour measurement – the LLT2800. Additionally, the companies are announcing the first application of the sensor in the UK (Plates 2 and 3).

Plate 2 Profile sensor for online measurement and inspection systems

Plate 3 Profile sensor for online measurement and inspection systems

The new sensor uses laser line triangulation. A laser diode projects a solid laser line onto the surface of the object to be measured – this design eliminates the need for rotating mirrors or complex lens arrangements, which improves long term reliability.

The diffusely reflected light from the laser line is replicated on a CMOS matrix by a high quality optical system and evaluated in two dimensions. In addition to the distance information (Z-axis), the exact position of each point on the laser line (X-axis) is also acquired and output by the system.

“Whilst there are already sensors of this type on the market, the LLT2800 provides a step change in terms of performance” says Chris Jones, the Micro Epsilon UK Sales Manager. With measurement resolutions down to 12.5 mm and measurement rates of 250,000 points per second the sensor enables a whole new range of applications to be solved, including the ability to perform 100 per cent inspection and measurement tasks online. This will enable manufacturers to significantly improve the product quality whilst at the same time improving the overall production efficiency.

Applied Industrial Systems – who operate as a measurement system integrator and work closely with ME – have already delivered the first LLT2800-based system to a major manufacturer of automotive brake pads.

The brake pad system measures and inspects 100 per cent of the manufactured output, coping with one pad every 2s. The system uses three LLT synchronized sensors linked back to a PC and has been constructed around a bespoke conveyor and mechanical handling system also provided by the AIS.

“The requirement was to measure thickness, flatness and parallelism and we had been looking for sensors for sometime,” says Simon Burras Consultant with AIS. “The LLT was the only sensor that met both measurement performance and speed requirements. The data were transmitted to the PC using a firewire link which means that the system grabs a complete profile of each pad as they travel along the conveyor. The PC has been programmed with an extensive set of measurement algorithms to enable the system to analyse any type of pad. As each pad passes the sensors a GO/NOGO test is performed and pads outside of the defined tolerance are rejected.”