In today’s highly competitive and increasingly global marketplace, in which product reliability and quality assurance are vital, it is critical that a product manufacturer uses the right displacement sensor technology.
Your choice of displacement sensor has a direct impact on raw material and energy use, manufacturing process costs and product quality. Therefore, it is critical that you choose the right displacement sensor for your product.
Why your choice of displacement sensor is critical
There is a wide range of displacement sensors (also referred to as displacement transducers and displacement gauges) available on the market to suit specific applications and conditions.
The displacement sensor that you need will depend on the type of your application and parameters such as measuring range, frequency response and accuracy. The decision you make will have an impact on the standard, safety and performance of your product.
To help you select the right displacement sensor, we have put together this brief guide to displacement sensors. The aim is to provide you with information on sensor applications and features so that you can make an informed decision for your next project.
The types of displacement sensor available to you
The displacement sensor that will best provide the high-speed measurements and high-accuracy results that you need, and provide the real-time precision measurement data that allow you to augment your manufacturing process and end product, depends on a number of factors, including environment, position and industry.
The right displacement sensor supplier will help you make the correct decision. Types of displacement sensor include:
· LVDT sensors
· Digital gauge probes
· Pneumatic displacement sensors
· Vacuum retract displacement probes
· Feather-touch transducers
· Ultra-feather-touch transducers
· Narrow-body digital gauge probes
· Short and ultra-short digital gauge probes
· Rugged digital probes
· Block gauges
· Parallel flexures
· Single-leaf and mini flexures
· Mini and lever probes
Major industries use these types of displacement sensor
Industry application is often a key determining factor in the type of displacement sensor that is best suited to your project.
For example, in the aerospace industry, in which the complexity and precision of parts are becoming more and more challenging, a variety of contact and non-contact aerospace sensors are used, with digital spring push probes and digital pneumatic probes both workhorses of the sector.
In the automotive industry, low-tip force probes and ultra-feather-touch probes are commonly used metrology tools with regard to glass gauging, while gauge probes and flexures are widely used for cylinder head and cam shaft measurement.
In the electronics industry, ultra-feather-touch probes are widely used for LCD and glass screen gauging, 6mm-diameter probes and feather-touch probes are commonly used for component case gauging, and non-contact confocal systems are used for mobile phone screen gauging.
Choosing displacement sensors and the role of your metrology partner
Choosing the right displacement sensor for your product is not a straightforward process – there are often various complexities involved – and this is why having the right metrology partner is so important.
The right displacement sensor supplier will have the industry expertise and experience and the range of displacement sensors that ensure that your products are manufactured to the highest standard and have maximum impact on the market.
To find out more about what Solartron Metrology can do for your business, contact us on +44 (0)1243 833333 or sales.solartronmetrology@ametek.com.