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Leak detection
Leak detection: measuring the presence of liquid It is clearly important to know if the boiler in your engine room is leaking or if liquid is dripping from a pipe or hydraulic cylinder in a cabinet. Knowing that these kinds of leaks exist allows you to take action before a real problem or dangerous situation … Continued
Flowmeters
Flow meters: measuring gas or liquid flows Flows are usually associated with liquids or gases. The first option for measuring liquid flows is a mechanical method. At the gas station you may still come across paddlewheel flow meters, which rotate behind a viewing glass as gas passes through at a gas pump. The number of … Continued
Level sensors
Level sensors: liquid level measurement The most well-known level sensor is located the gas tank of a car. This usually uses a float on the surface of the liquid in the tank to measure the level. This float is connected by an arm to an angle sensor which determines the level. Real-time liquid level measurement … Continued
Draw-wire encoder
Draw-wire encoders: measuring long lengths A draw-wire encoder is a fairly traditional method of measuring lengths and is comparable to a tape measure. The greater the length measured, the farther the cable is pulled out of the system. A draw-wire encoder is particularly suitable for measuring large displacements and long lengths, from one meter to … Continued
Potentiometers
Potentiometers: measuring displacements and lengths A potentiometer can measure linear displacements and lengths up to about a meter. For example, a blade that moves up and down like a guillotine can easily be tracked using a potentiometer. For greater lengths, other solutions prove to be the better option, as potentiometers can then get too expensive. … Continued
Load cells
Load cells: measuring forces Load cells are by far the most common method used to measure force. This kind of sensor consists of a piece of metal with a strain gauge, which is a piece of foil with a carbon pattern. The resistance changes as this pattern is stretched, compressed or distorted. An electronic circuit … Continued
Pressure sensors
Pressure sensors: measuring pressures If you want to measure a pressure, you will certainly need to select a sensor that matches the desired accuracy and range you are interested in. It is important to remember here that the peak pressure is often a multiple of the nominal pressure. This can sometimes be two or three … Continued
Temperature sensors
Temperature sensors: measuring temperatures Temperature sensors can be divided roughly into three categories: thermocouples, Pt elements and NTC/PTC resistors. Which one is most suitable for your application depends on a variety of factors: What range do you want to measure, how much accuracy do you need, what is your budget, how urgently do you need … Continued
I don’t know yet
Which sensor do you really need? Choosing the right sensor depends on various factors, such as the size and the desired accuracy. It’s also a good idea to find out what sort of environment it will be used in, such as very hot or humid conditions. You can then select the sensor types below to … Continued
Force and moment sensors
Force and moment sensors In many industrial processes, force is an important measurement. For example, how much force is being exerted on a machine part? Or how much mass is being added to something? Imagine an application where you want to bond two materials: force is an important indicator in making the process uniform, reproducible, … Continued
Pressure and temperature sensors
Pressure and temperature sensors There are very few measurements that are as critical to us as temperature. It all starts in the home, where the thermostat is set to a comfortable temperature. Ideally, it should be 20 °C/68 °F, and stay there. A sensor in the thermostat measures the ambient temperature, which in turn is … Continued
Pressure switches
Pressure switches: switch at a set pressure level You don’t always need a complicated pressure sensor to achieve your goal, as it is often completely irrelevant to know the exact pressure or the pressure curve in a process. What may well be important, however, is preventing the pressure from becoming too high or too low. … Continued
Distance sensors
Distance sensors: measuring distances up to 1 meter What is the distance between the blade in your saw and the product underneath? How high is the box on a conveyor belt? How much product is left in a silo? They are all examples of distance measurements. Solutions based on various types of contactless technology are … Continued
Inclinometers
Inclinometers: measuring angles and slopes Inclinometers are closely related to accelerometers. While an accelerometer looks at movements, an inclinometer also statically calculates the angle of the sensor in relation to the horizon. These systems derive three vectors from three axes. By combining those vectors, the angle of the sensor can be calculated very precisely, since … Continued
Accelerometers
Accelerometers: measuring acceleration and vibrations Traditionally, accelerations and vibrations were measured with mechanical sensors. Earthquakes are still detected with a geophone to this day, which is essentially an acceleration sensor. In these devices, a seismic vibration causes a coil to move over a magnetic core. The current generated is easy to measure. The system is … Continued
Fiber optics
Fiber optics: presence detection Fiber optics are an efficient way of sensing the presence of objects with precision. This technology is ideal for tasks such as detecting wafers in cassettes, gold wires after a wire bonding process, or the passage of a lead frame. How do fiber optics work? This method is based on glass … Continued
High-precision distance sensors
High-precision distance sensors: measuring distances in nanometers and micrometers High-accuracy distance sensors are very different from distance sensors. These solutions are necessary if the accuracy has to be within a millimeter or even a micrometer or beyond. Three types of technology are used here: laser triangulation, chromatic confocal and eddy currents. Laser triangulation is by … Continued
Proximity sensors
Proximity sensors: measuring presence or distance A proximity sensor detects a metal object nearby. If it detects such an object, it sends a signal and the underlying system can take action. These sensors are often used in areas such as machine construction, on trucks and in agricultural vehicles. How does a proximity sensor work? The … Continued
Rotary encoders
Rotary encoders: measuring rotations Rotary encoders are very similar to linear encoders, but have a ring rather than a scale. Incremental rotary encoders were more common in the past, because they were cheap and accurate. These days, however, absolute encoders are almost as accurate, and the difference in price has dropped dramatically. So, the first … Continued
Long distance sensors
Long distance sensors: measuring large distances (more than 1 meter) There is a lot of overlap between long-distance sensors and distance sensors, although the point at which one is better than the other is roughly one meter. Ultrasonic sensors are usually unsuitable for measuring longer distances. lidar or radar technology works better in these circumstances. … Continued
Linear encoders
Linear encoders: measuring displacements or movements The first question to ask yourself when looking for a suitable linear encoder is: Do I need to know the absolute position, or is detecting incremental position changes sufficient? Until recently, incremental solutions were generally favored, but that is changing. Absolute encoders are increasingly being seen as the preferred … Continued
Distance and speed sensors
Distance and speed sensors How does a self-driving car find its way around? And how do AGVs and AMRs avoid colliding with the objects surrounding them? By continuously measuring the distances between themselves and everything they detect around them. Technology suitable for this type of application is based on the time-of-flight principle, which involves measuring … Continued
Vibration and acceleration sensors
Vibration and acceleration sensors Whether it concerns rattling cars or advanced wafer stages in the semiconductor industry, movement is visible everywhere. Sometimes the speed is uniform, but often changes in speed are more relevant, i.e. acceleration and deceleration. Acceleration sensors are design to detect changes in speed. If a car accelerates, this kind of sensor … Continued
Level sensors and flow meters
Level sensors and flow meters How much fuel is left in the gas tank? Or how much grain is stored in my silo? These kinds of questions can be answered with a level sensor. The most appropriate sensor solution depends on various factors. Does it concern a liquid or a solid? What is the structure … Continued
Angle and inclination sensors
Angle and inclination sensors The power steering in a vehicle, the joints in a robot arm, rotating motor shafts: wherever things turn, it’s useful to be able to measure the angle or angle change. A rotary encoder is usually used in the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints of a robot arm, for example, so that … Continued
Length and position sensors
Length and position sensors Be it XYZ gantries in 3D printers, high-precision wafer stages in the semiconductor industry, autonomous vehicles, products on a conveyor belt, and robot arm controls: determining lengths, positions or simply presence is important in all kinds of industrial situations. For this reason, a broad range of sensors are available. What range … Continued
Find your sensor in our online sensor database
Find your sensor in our online sensor database The road to integrating your sensors starts with the search for a suitable sensor. If none of the standard solutions available match the specifications and environmental requirements of your application, a sensor integrator is the answer. Our sensor experts take care of every aspect in the fields … Continued
