Sensors Suppliers Sensors 101 Sensors Articles

The Sensors Reference Center, from Machine Design, is designed to provide design engineers with the information they need to specify or purchase Sensors including: AC motors, DC motors, stepper motors and servo motors. The Sensors 101 section includes reference information about the various types of motors and the selection criteria and requirements used for typical mechanical engineering applications.

 
Ylinder Position Sensor
The SMAT electronic position sensor continuously monitors the position of a cylinder piston within a range of 50 mm.
 
Rotary encoders for motors
Constant-speed ac-induction motors don't really hold a constant speed.
 
MACHINE DESIGN partners with PARTsolutions to launch new 2D/3D CAD Library
Penton Media's Design Engineering group, anchored by Machine Design magazine, announced today that it has entered into a strategic partnership with PARTsolutions®, LLC, a leading provider of publishing solutions for 2D/3D digital parts catalogs, to launch the Machine Design CAD Library, a powerful, new resource for design engineers.
 
Area Vision Sensors
The PresencePlus P4 Area vision sensors are designed to inspect the presence and shape of defined areas.
 
Proximity Sensor
The IWRM Series of inductive analog proximity sensors deliver precise noncontact proximity, position, and distance sensing for metal objects.
 
Photoelectric Sensors
The OG Basic Line of photoelectric sensors have extended sensing ranges of 20 m for thru-beam, 4 m for polarized retroreflective, and 250 mm for diffuse background suppression with potentiometer setup for precise applications.
 
RTD Temperature Sensor
The Omni RTD temperature sensor is a combination of an integrated display/control unit and a highly accurate platinum RTD temperature-sensor tip.
 
Pressure Sensor
The M5100 pressure sensor is overvoltage protected to 16 Vdc in both positive and reverse polarity.
 
Battery-Current Sensors
Twenty-five models comprise the DHAB family of dual-range current sensors that offer nonintrusive, galvanically isolated options for automotive applications.
 
Noncontacting Rotary Sensor
Miniature noncontact sensors are designed for dependability and precision in small and harsh environments.
 
Background suppression sensors
Standard diffused-mode sensors trigger on light reflected directly from the target.
 
Capacitive sensors
Most proximity sensors use an electromagnetic field to sense the presence of a target metal. But there are times when it's necessary to sense nonmetallic materials such as plastics, liquids, or powders.
 
Position Sensor
The TEX Series of position sensors sports stroke lengths up to 300 mm with ±0.05% linearity and 0.01-mm resolution.
 
Metal-faced sensors
sensors suit 80% of sensing applications today; but plastic-face sensors are not designed to stand up to the harsh conditions of severe industrial environments.
 
Self-powered hydrogen sensors
Tiny, inexpensive sensors that detect hydrogen leaks and alert users by wireless link could help spur on the so-called hydrogen economy, says a University of Florida research team.
 
Smarter than your average pushbutton
Designers are turning to MEMS sensors as a way of devising superresponsive operator controls.
 
Getting temperatures right
There are tricks of the trade when it comes to getting an accurate measure of temperature.
 
Radar keeps walkers out of harm's way
A fusion of anticollision radar and video sensors detects pedestrians on the fly...er, walk.
 
New Compact Position Sensors are Pressure Equalized
Novotechnik is introducing the TEX series of position sensors with stroke lengths up to 300 mm. The new sensor combines compact housing size of 18 mm diameter with pressure equalization.
 
UV Sensor Developed for Control of Adhesive Dispensing
EMX Industries Inc., a manufacturer of sensors for industrial automation, announced the UVX-300G, the first UV (ultraviolet light) luminescence sensor designed for improved control of glue and adhesive dispensing.
 
Sensor Lets Machines See Color Intensity
EMX Industries Inc. introduced the ColorMax-1000, the first color sensor that outputs color intensity.
 
Contrast sensors
Contrast sensors detect differences between two colors by measuring the amount of light reflected by the target.
 
Proximity sensors for stamping dies
Difficulties that plague die-stamping operations include overfeeds, underfeeds, slugs, and missed hits.
 
Noncontact Rotary Sensor
The RFC Series of magnetic-field sensors have no moving or mechanical parts to wear or break.
 
Multiturn Rotary Transducer
The Series R rotary transducer handles up to 150 turns (54,000°) of rotational measurement.
 
Measuring rpms
The monitoring of rotation can involve such sensor types as proximity, photoelectric, resolvers, encoders, and tachometer generators.
 
Tubular Proximity Sensor
The Telemecanique XS6 auto-adaptable inductive proximity sensors
 
Proximity Sensors
UHZ miniature ultrasonic and FARS, MQ, and HEE/HER Series sensors include four models of rectangular through-beam units specifically designed for limited mounting space.
 
Ultrasonic sensors
Ultrasonic sensors can measure distance without contact.
 
Feedback on speed
A novel process offers an inexpensive way to monitor the speed of small permanentmagnet motors.
 
Clamp action sensing
Clamping applications often rely on sensors to ensure parts are in place and jaws or grippers are in proper orientation and position. Though other methods can report open and closed clamps, only sensors near the application can provide true reports on clamp operation.
 
Collision sensor protects robots
Robots are great for repetitive tasks such as loading, unloading, and welding.
 
Linear-displacement transducers
The Gemco 953 Series Vmax linear-displacement transducer (LDT) offers absolute position indication with high resolution and repeatability.
 
Ultrasonic sensor is chemically resistant
Chemically resistant models of UGAGE QT50U and T30U ultrasonic sensors incorporate a Teflon flange and film coating bonded over the sensor transducers.
 
Flow sensor also reports temperature
A programmable DRO (digital read out) flow sensor monitors flow and temperature of fluids such as water and glycol.
 
Magnetic cylinder sensors
C-slot magnetic cylinder sensors, featuring integrated giant magnetoresistive technology (GMR), are for use in pneumatic cylinders.
 
Vibrating level sensors
The Telemecanique Altivar 71 variable-speed ac drive sports dual microprocessors running motor-control algorithms.
 
String-pot transducer
The SP2 String-Pot Transducer comes in stroke lengths of 4.75, 12.5, 25, and 50 in., with 3 ft of electrical cable affixed with a moisture protective sheath over the potentiometer.
 
Fiber-optic sensors
Industrial sensors using fiber-optic cables often have a role sensing small targets or working under conditions that would hamper other types of sensors.
 
Web-Based Software Manages Plant Floor
AIM Enterprise Version 3.0 is Webbased software that features an Automated Line Supervision and Dash Board reporting tool, which makes real-time plant-floor data available through any PC, anytime, anywhere in the world.
 
Turn Partial Differential Equations Into FE Models
FlexPDE 5 is a script-driven program for solving partial differential equations involving heat flow, electric and magnetic fields, and stress analysis.
 
Easily Program Robots
Delmia Arc Welding is a Delmia V5 Robotic program add-on that lets engineers and programmers create arc-welding trajectories and tasks in 3D and offline.
 
Data Manager Sports Built-In Workflows
Teamcenter Express provides collaborative product-data management to midrange manufacturers using standard electronic data-exchange and visualization formats.
 
Access Over 50,000 Material-Data Sheets
Algor users can import material properties from over 50,000 data sheets, using MatWeb's Premium Services.
 
Calculate And Optimize Mechanical Components
Mechanical-engineering software KISSsoft uses the latest standards (DIN, ISO, AGMA) to perform reliable calculations for design parameters, validation, and strength analysis for mechanical components, such as gearboxes.
 
Electronically Transmit Design Intent From CAD To Inspection
PC-DMIS Inspection Planner Suite makes a paperless task of turning design intent from CAD, thereby reducing time spent programming CMMs, probe-equipped CNC machines, vision systems, articulating arms, and other measurement devices.
 
Perform "What-If" Design Decisions
aPriori V3.7, a cost-management software for the discrete manufacturing industry, works with a company's MCAD system to provide designers an iterative tool for "what-if" design trade-offs throughout the entire product-development process.
 
3D XML Works On The Web And In Office Applications
3D XML, an open-standard, lightweight XML-based format, lets manufacturers, suppliers, and customers capture and share accurate and sophisticated 3D data.
 
View FE Models On The Web
CAEview publishes interactive displays of finite-element models from Ansys and UGS Master FEM files, which are used in Web-based, global-collaboration systems.
 
Simulating Design Of Nondestructive Sensors
CIVA V 7.1 simulates the operation of components in nondestructive sensors used to find unwanted material flaws.
 
CAM Software For Diverse Applications
Version 12.1 of SmartCAM Production Milling, Advanced Milling, FreeForm Machining, Production Turning, Advanced Turning, and Advanced Wire-EDM programs feature updated data translators, an improved "transform move" function that lets the toolpath clear value to follow repositioned toolpath elements, automated zero-coordinate settings, and improved dynamic nesting.
 
Photoelectric sensor
EZ-Eye is a miniature pushbutton photoelectric sensor designed for object detection, web-break detection, counting, inspection, and orientation.
 
Laser Through-Beam Sensor
Laser through-beam sensors feature high-accuracy optics that operate to 50 m and have a switching frequency of 5 kHz.
 
Electromagnetic Flow Sensor
The Signet 2551 display magmeter is an insertion-style electromagnetic flow sensor with a built-in display, empty pipe detection, bi-directional flow capabilities, and PVDF/Hastelloy C wetted parts.
 
Overheating Protectors
Three models of thermal protectors protect against overheating in ac and dc equipment.
 
Ultrasonic level sensor
The U3M ultrasonic "Mini Probe" level sensor has a 4 to 6-in. operating range and extends 2 in. above the tank or drum surface.