sensors & systems - Industrial Technology Magazine

SENSORS & SYSTEMS
New Products
3D software for laser profile
sensor enables export to CAD
Now you can export your 3D profile bitmap as a
point cloud to any CAD/CAM software application
Micro-Epsilon's 3D-View and 3D-
Data software are used with the
company’s ScanCONTROL range
of non-contact laser profile sensors. These
sensors enable you to detect surface
defects and to inspect grooves, channels,
gaps and edges in a variety of
applications. The system has standalone
plug-and-play capability, and is easy to
set up, configure and adapt for different
measurement applications.
All users of ScanCONTROL receive a
complimentary version of 3D-View with
the sensor, but the new software, 3D-
Data, is for users who need to export the
3D captured data from ScanCONTROL
and export it to their CAD/CAM system.
Florian Martin, product sales manager for
ScanCONTROL at Micro-Epsilon
comments: “3D-Data is ideal for R&D
departments, design engineers and
production engineers because it allows
the user to quickly demonstrate the
capability of the sensor and the quality of
the measurement data being captured.
3D-Data goes that bit further than 3D-
View and enables you to visualise the
surface of the material or product being
measured.”
The software also provides an
intensity function that enables users to
see the intensity of the surface in black
and white images (greyscale). Although
colour images are not possible, a colour
coding function allows the user to set up
suitable colour codes for products being
measured.
MORE INFORMATION:
Enter D504 on the enquiry card, or visit ‘latest issue
stories’ at www.industrialtechnology.co.uk for
further details from Micro-Epsilon
Plastic fantastic as
a conveying solution
Hygienic
replaceable
process
connections
With the CombiConnect
system, Baumer offers a
series of hygienic,
replaceable connections allowing
high flexibility and reducing the
stock at the same time.
The system can be used with
the FlexBar and ED701 pressure
transmitters as well as with the
CombiTemp temperature
measuring device. It is the ideal
choice when you’re measuring
temperature and pressure in
different environments with
several process conditions. Due to
its flexible application, the stock
of spare parts can be greatly
reduced.
CombiConnect allows the use
of only one standard process
Reliable position
sensing in small
bore cylinders
Idec has added to its SA1E
photoelectric sensor range with a
convergent type which provides a more
focused beam than the standard diffuse
sensor. This means the object must reside
in a well defined area 5 to 35mm in front
of the sensor. Backgrounds are ignored
and colour or material of the object has
very little effect. Because the convergent
type does not employ a moving adjustable
lens, its cost is cheaper than a
background suppression sensor, but it can
still can be used to perform that function,
because of its tight focused beam.
Typical applications include detection
of ICs mounted on PCBs, ignoring the
board itself. To take advantage of its tight
focused range, the small size of the SA1E
enables it to be mounted extremely close
to production lines.
In response to growing customer
demand, LAC Conveyors has launched
its first range of plastic modular
conveyors. Designed to provide a costeffective
alternative to mild steel and
aluminium conveyors, the versatile range
of durable HMW polythene constructed
systems could also save valuable
production time.
LAC Conveyors tells us that its plastic
modular conveyors can be built to order
in almost half the time of their mild steel
and aluminium counterparts. In addition
to this, the durable but flexible
construction of the systems vastly reduces
any maintenance requirement and
crucially, the plastic belts are easily
removed for cleaning or maintenance
without major downtime or the need for
special tools.
Built for use across a variety of
manufacturing environments, from
product and component manufacture to
food production and preparation, the
plastic modular conveyor range is
constructed from 25mm plastic which is
resistant to corrosion to ensure durability
throughout production. It is also
chemically inert to ensure that the
conveyor itself does not contaminate the
products that it’s handling.
In addition to providing a costeffective
solution to stainless steel, the
new conveyor range will also allow for a
‘change of angle’. Swan neck conveyors
and double swan neck conveyors can be
complicated and expensive when
manufactured from mild steel or
aluminium, but the plastic conveyors are
simpler and cheaper to produce for these
configurations.
“Manufacturing environments in the
UK are changing rapidly with the
competitive effects of increased offshore
competition, which is why we have
designed a modular system that will
enable our customers to respond quickly
to changing product portfolios and
manufacturing techniques,” explains Chris
Unwin, managing director of LAC
Conveyors. “The versatility and cost
benefits of the new plastic modular
conveyors will give our customers another
competitive advantage in terms of cost
and efficiency, whilst enabling them to
continue to achieve high quality.”
connection on a pressure and
temperature transmitter which
then can be fitted to numerous
different process connections with
the CombiConnect adaptor pieces.
The mounting of a pressure or
temperature measuring device
takes less than two minutes.
By using a configurable
pressure transmitter, the number
of required spare transmitters can
be further reduced, for example by
having only two transmitters, one
for lower and higher pressure
each. Since the pressure ranges
are configurable, the devices can
be adjusted to the exact
requirements of any particular
application. With the
CombiConnect system, the
process connection can be
adapted to fit in the application.
The CombiConnect
connections are made of acidproof
stainless steel. The products
meet the demands of the food
industry fulfilling the FDA and
EHEDG criteria.
MORE INFORMATION:
MORE INFORMATION:
MORE INFORMATION:
Enter D506 on the enquiry card, or visit ‘latest issue
stories’ at www.industrialtechnology.co.uk for
further details from Idec
Enter D505 on the enquiry card, or visit ‘latest issue
stories’ at www.industrialtechnology.co.uk for
further details from LAC Conveyors
Enter D508 on the enquiry card, or visit
www.industrialtechnology.co.uk for
further details from Baumer
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INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY • May 2008