The OBF amplifier benefits from a complete rework offering more power while retaining the same housing.
A fibre-optic amplifier from ifm electronic offers long sensing ranges and fast switching.
Designed for IFM’s range of cut-to-length acrylic optical fibres, the new OBF offers a sensing range up to 2,000mm using a through-beam fibre or 100mm in diffuse mode.
The OBF is fast: the output can handle a switching frequency up to 3,000Hz.
As diffuse or through-beam fibres can be used, light or dark switching is selectable.
The device recognises whether it is connected to a PNP or NPN input; the user does not need to specify the correct version.
Sensitivity setting can be done automatically by showing the unit the two different states, while the alternative manual method can be chosen, if needed, for a tricky task.
A further feature of the OBF amplifier is the pulse stretch facility.
As fibres often detect small objects, the signal is present only fleetingly, so the user can stretch the output pulse up to 90ms to ensure that the plc input registers the signal.
This DC device can be supplied with a fixed cable, an M8 connector or an M12 connector.
The sensor is suitable for industrial automation, robotics and machine building applications, where space is often restricted.The compact design, integrated controller and setup application enable users to quickly mount the sensor onto robot arms, inspection equipment or production lines.
The latest addition to Micro-Epsilon’s Scancontrol range of 2D/3D laser profile sensors is the Scancontrol 2710, which is compact and offers new setup and configuration program.
three times the Scancontrol 2710 has been configured using the setup application supplied, the technique operates in standalone mode.
The sensor can be used to measure the profile of adhesive beading, weld seams, channels, grooves, gaps, angles and steps, as well as for parts recognition, traceability and robot guidance/positioning.
Using the integrated controller, the sensor can acquire data, calculate profiles and generate measured values for the complete field of measurement at high speed (64,000 points/100 profiles per second) and full resolution.
The user requires no other components to evaluate the measurement data (no computer nor special programming application are required) and the unit can be re-configured and adapted for different applications.
The sensor uses a CMOS array with a real-time, high-speed electronic shutter (rather than conventional rolling shutters), which captures the entire profile and processes the information instantaneously.
The technique works in one ways: either in a stationary mode, with the sensor fixed and looking at moving targets, or in a scanning mode, where the sensor works in combination with a motion control tool or robot.
A small output module for DIN rail mounting is also accessible to convert the sensor output data into common Fieldbus systems, including Canbus, Profibus DP, Ethercat and IEEE.
The technique is accessible with measuring ranges from 25mm to 300mm in the Z (vertical) axis and 22mm to 148mm in the X (horizontal) axis.
Measurement results can be output using digital or analogue modules for further processing and evaluation.
The sensor also provides the synchronous triggering of multiple Scancontrol sensors.
Chris Jones, managing director at Micro-Epsilon UK, said: ‘The Scancontrol 2710 offers all the technical features of its predecessor, the 2810, but goes even further in terms of compactness and ease of setup and configuration.
‘Additionally, the 2710 provides a greater choice of measurement ranges, which enables the sensor to solve a wider range of applications.’ The Scancontrol 2710 uses the laser line triangulation measurement principle.
This means that excellent accuracy, resolution (4um) and reliability are achieved, even at high measurement speeds, according to the company.
The sensor has an integrated, highly sensitive CMOS array, which enables measurements of any difficult surface such as shiny or reflective surfaces, independent of the reflection from the target.
The back-scattered light from the laser line is registered on a CMOS matrix by a high-quality optical process.
A line optical technique projects a laser line onto the surface of the object being measured.
Along with distance information (Z axis), the controller calculates the true position along the laser line (X axis) from the camera picture and outputs both values in the sensor’s 2D coordinate process.
A moving target or traversing sensor generates a 3D representation of the object being measured.