With a claimed ten-fold improvement in accuracy compared to other systems, the new OD Max displacement sensor from Sick is suitable for applications where distance measurement is required with an accuracy measured in microns rather than millimetres.
The accuracy offered by the OD Max has been made possible by a leap in measurement accuracy (which, in this device, has been improved by a factor of 10 compared to other systems) to 0.1 per cent of the measurement area. With a separate sensor and evaluation unit, the OD Max offers further advantages when it comes to installation.
The extremely compact optical head can fit into locations with very limited mounting space. In addition to processing the measured values of one or two sensors, which simply plug into its ports, the evaluation unit also contains integrated, basic arithmetical functions. These enable calculations to be performed on the measured values, enabling the output from the evaluation unit to relate directly to the characteristic under investigation. Just one example is the use of two sensors to calculate the thickness of material.
By employing highly accurate CMOS technology, as opposed to less accurate CCD or PSD methods, the OD Max offers significant advantages when targets are either highly reflective or very dark. Featuring a tough, IP67-rated enclosure, designed to withstand almost any industrial automation environment, the sensor is available in three variants for operating distances of 30, 85 and 350mm. Each variant offers two analogue outputs in addition to five switching outputs that are fully configurable via a teach-in facility. In addition, two status indicators provide information on the current operating state.
"