High accuracy high resolution laser sensor for less than £500

High accuracy high resolution laser sensor for less than £500

A non-contact, optoelectronic displacement (position) measurement sensor has been launched that offers OEMs, machine builders and end users all the technical advantages of its predecessor, but at half the cost.

Micro-Epsilon’s new compact, robust ‘optoNCDT 1300’ laser sensor measures displacement against almost any target (including shiny black rubber surfaces) without contacting the object. The sensor has an integrated digital signal processor and is suitable for a wide range of applications in industrial automation and production environments, including parts measurement; surface contour measurement; epoxy placement on integrated circuits; weld seam detection on welding robots; automotive vehicle positioning and height; tool positioning; eccentricity; shape conformance; positioning on conveyors; bending and tilt angles; part recognition; thickness; deformation and waviness.

The sensor, like its predecessor the optoNCDT 1401, is based on the laser triangulation measurement principle. A laser diode projects a visible light spot onto the surface of the target. Part of the diffuse reflected light is then imaged through an optical lens system on a CMOS CCD sensing element. If the distance of the target to the laser sensor changes, then the angle at which the spot of light is observed also changes and the position of its image on the CMOS array. From this change of position, the distance of the object from the optoNCDT 1300 is calculated using simple, geometrical relationships. The integrated signal processor evaluates the digital image of the receiver and calculates the accurate displacement reading.