Sensors

In designing personal electronics, industrial or medical applications, engineers must address some of the same challenges: how to increase performance, add features and shrink form factors. Along with these considerations, they must carefully monitor temperature to ensure safety and protect systems and consumers from harm.

A low-cost non-contact voltage-output temperature sensor designed for factory maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) in smart manufacturing environments has been released by RS Components. It meets the demands of maintenance engineers who need a small, low-cost temperature sensor that can fit into tight spaces, and that shows the measured temperature in situ.  

Endress+Hauser has announced the Liquiline System CA80HA hardness analyser to provide precise online analysis of water hardness in drinking water and process water. It helps optimise the control of water softening processes such as ion exchange or reverse osmosis, ensures quality of products influenced by water hardness, and analyses feedwater used in boilers.

A proximity sensor that offers a sensing distance of up to 30cm has been released by the Optoelectronics group of Vishay Intertechnology. Combining an IR emitter, photo detectors for proximity, amplifiers, and ADC circuitry into a single package, the Vishay Semiconductors VCNL3040 features a programmable interrupt function.

At the Advanced Engineering show this year, a new range of CMMs will be launched by British manufacturer LK Metrology offering high accuracy and repeatability in a compact footprint. Built at the company's factory near Derby, the new ALTERAC machines are available in three sizes - 7.7.5, 10.7.5, and 10.7.7 - their respective X,Y,Z axis movements being 700x650x500mm, 1,000x650x500mm and 1,000x650x650mm.

SICK has launched the first 2D LiDAR sensors safety-certified to PL b, specifically designed to plug a gap for lower-risk applications where safety-rated integration is needed in small, low-speed Automated Guided Vehicles and Carts, service robots or collaborative robots. The SICK TiM361S and TiM781S 2D LiDAR sensors are economical, lightweight and compact with a safety certification to EN ISO 13849-1:2015 PL b and can be integrated inconspicuously into low-speed, small or lightweight mobile or stationary applications, following completion of an appropriate risk assessment.

Flintec have added the UXT to its well-established family of tension load cells. With OIML and NTEP approval, the UXT is certified for trade weighing applications. Capacities start at 50kg through to 7,500kg, ensuring the UXT is suitable for a vast range of industrial and medical applications.

The smart Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) BMI270 from Bosch Sensortec scores with increased system battery life and an improved accelerometer. Optimised for wearable and hearable applications, the BMI270 is available from Rutronik UK.

FLIR Systems has announced the latest generation of the FLIR Brickstream 3D Gen 2 people counting sensor. This new version includes an employee filtering feature designed to provide retail and shopping businesses with more accurate customer traffic data and sales conversion metrics. The employee filtering feature uses a combination of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology and employee-worn tags to automatically identify and remove staff from customer counts, a process that can otherwise be manual or missing in retail environments.

SICK has launched the smallest industrial UHF RFID read/write device of its kind, the RFU610, creating new opportunities to integrate RFID track and trace capability in automated machines and mobile vehicles across production, materials handling, and logistics environments. Almost half the size of SICK’s next-level, mid-range RFU620 reader, the RFU610 needs an installation space of just 80x92x38mm and achieves an impressive scanning range of ≤0.5m.