Blue laser profile sensors measure very small objects

The special characteristics of the blue wavelength laser light make the sensors suitable for a wide range of high-precision profile and dimensional measurements on a variety of materials including shiny surfaces, red-hot glowing metals, organic materials (e.g. food, wood and wood veneers), as well as transparent or semi-transparent materials such as plastics, glass, optical components and film/substrates.

The scanCONTROL 29xx-10_BL is equipped with a blue laser diode and projects a 10mm-wide laser line onto the object at a profile resolution of 1280 measuring points. This results in a point distance (X-axis resolution) of just 7.8um, providing twice the resolution of previous laser sensors with a 25mm measuring range. In the Z-axis, the sensor provides a reference resolution from 1um.

Chris Jones, Managing Director at Micro-Epsilon UK comments: "Due to its extremely high performance, the sensor is suitable for use in applications where the highest precision and resolution are required, such as precision mechanics, electronics, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, medicine and in the production of precision components. Typical applications include the checking of electronic components on PCBs for positional tolerances; checking the position of razor blades relative to each other; and verifying miniature glue beads and welds. The sensor is solving applications that other laser profile sensors cannot!"

As with all Micro-Epsilon scanCONTROL laser profile sensors, all the conditioning electronics are completely integrated into the sensor housing, yet still providing a lightweight, compact sensor design, enabling the sensors to be installed on robot arms or on machines where there may be little space available for mounting.

The sensors are equipped with a Gigabit Ethernet interface for transferring profile data, as well as a multi-purpose connector for RS422, encoder input triggering, Digital In (HTL/TTL), power supply and synchronisation. The sensors support Power-over-Ethernet (PoE), which means they can be operated with only one cable, thus simplifying installation even further. A simple and intuitive configuration interface is provided with all sensors to allow sensor configuration, as well as full .SDK for more detailed machine integration. The sensors are configured with a unique IP address (user changeable), which enables future remote configuration and diagnostics. A Modbus protocol (supported via Ethernet and the RS422 interface) also enables direct connection between the sensor and a PLC.

The SMART version of the scanCONTROL 2910-10/BL series offers a "plug & play' product with integrated controller that is suitable for simple-to-complex measurement tasks, eliminating the need for any external controller or PC. Set up and configuration of the sensor is carried out via the scanCONTROL Configuration Tools PC software, which enables the measurement of steps, angles, seams and grooves. The parameter sets are stored in the sensor, which is why the sensor autonomously performs measurements without requiring any external control devices or PCs.

For more information on the scanCONTROL 29xx-BL/10, please visit www.micro-epsilon.co.uk.