Surprising Precision Fair generates unexpected sensor solutions

It’s something of a tradition now, taking part in the annual Precision Fair in the Brain Port region of the Netherlands. Sentech was among more than 300 high-tech companies to take up the challenge with visitors in a bid to solve their biggest technological challenges. There were lots of surprising entries!

Mikrocentrum organised the 17th edition of the trade fair in Veldhoven, where it’s all about the development and production of high-tech components, modules and systems. The organisers report that “a record number of more than 4,000 visitors from 25 countries attended.” Last year, 3,650 people came to Koningshof.

Many of the components produced by Sentech last year were on display for visitors, prompting productive discussions about the ins and outs of precision technology.

Challenge the Challengers

Among the especially interesting Challenges to emerge within the context of the high-tech fair, included the fields of thickness measurement for foil and a miniscule sensor module for temperature measurement. Regarding the latter, the challenge was that the sensor had to be tiny and preferably housed in stainless steel. It also had to be possible to fasten the product (PT-100) with screws.

Challenger and account manager Sean Ram said the following about the Sentech’s shared technological challenge stand: “The challenge with respect to thickness measurement for foil is to ensure the transparency of the film and a non-contact measurement. This must be accurate within a tenth of a millimetre. What makes it especially difficult is that the film could be any colour.”

Ultrasonic sensor technology is an option for this, but the question is whether you can achieve the desired resolution. Ram: “All of the Precision Fair challenges that were submitted will be elaborated fully in the coming period.”

Precise answers to 2017 Precision Fair

Our illusionist wasn’t alone in kicking up quite a bit of dust amongst the visitors at the 2017 Precision Fair held at Koningshof in Veldhoven. In his capacity as the Challenger, he picked up the visitors’ challenges with conceptually surprisingly magical tricks.

Our business partners also expressed their views on open cooperation. Maurice Teuwen works as a system engineer at Janssen Precision Engineering: “The big advantage is that Sentech offers a very wide range of products and real knowledge of the products they supply. When you ask a broadly-applicable question, you always get a clear answer!”

Geert van Birgelen, systems engineering manager at Frencken Engineering, told us about joining in with challenges: “You notice that Sentech likes to be involved from the start. If we don’t find an immediate solution for a measurement problem, we discuss how to best find a solution together.”

If you take the trouble, you expect a return.

Everyone who visits the fair, sets time aside and goes to the effort to visit. In search of knowledge or a solution to a specific problem. In the hope of finding an answer from someone behind a stand.

“We always ask customers questions they haven’t yet asked themselves. Even at the Precision Fair. As such, we stimulate them to think about finding a solution to their own problems. In this manner, we often come up with unexpected solutions or multiple options unfold,” explains Challenger and account manager Peter Verstappen.

Just how BIG is your challenge? Check which projects others have accepted and what it has brought them.

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