As a manufacturer, you know the pressures facing your organization today. While 2020 brought much uncertainty, a recent survey of senior leaders in manufacturing and distribution companies noted modest to significant growth in revenue during the pandemic. Demand for a variety of products across multiple industries is surging, particularly in markets where the shutdown of last year caused companies to fall behind.
While the shutdown was challenging, it was a blessing in disguise in that it accelerated many companies’ moves to become more efficient and resilient in the face of future uncertainty. This focus — along with expectations of increased localized production due to tariff concerns and faster digital transformation to reduce reliance on labor — means companies need more advanced solutions in place now to achieve those goals of efficiency and resiliency. As a contributor to Forbes recently noted:
“Advanced technology — sensors, machine learning, computer vision, robotics, cloud computing, edge computing, and 5G network infrastructure — has proven to increase supply chain resiliency for manufacturers who adopt it.”
Sensors aren’t new to the manufacturing industry, but if your organization is using sensors that are several years old, it’s likely that its sample speed is vastly behind the capabilities of today’s sensors. A new solution is needed, but where do you begin? Here, we’ll explore six sensor selection criteria so you have a starting point for your search.
The first sensor selection criterion is understanding your goal and target. As with any equipment purchase, you don’t know what you need until you understand the need. When it comes to sensors, this is important because most sensor types detect a single characteristic or condition that causes reflected light to be above or below a threshold. If there will be multiple characteristics, you may be able to use a color sensor or multiple contrast sensors.
Questions to consider: Are you trying to distinguish one color from another, ensure that a product color is always the same, or verify the presence of specific marks or materials? Will those targets remain consistent from one product to another, or will there be a significant variation? And what about the environment — will the same conditions for the application always be the same, or will light and other conditions shift?
Depending on whether the surface of your target material is glossy and highly reflective or matte, you will need to mount the sensor in a specific orientation. Glossy/reflective surfaces generally require a slightly angled mounting configuration, e.g., 15º from perpendicular. If the glossy characteristic itself needs to be detected, perpendicular mounting is necessary. For matte surfaces, the sensor orientation is more flexible because the material diffuses light more consistently than a glossy surface. This is an important sensor selection criterion to note because not all sensors feature flexible mounting options or additional accessories to ensure proper integration into your production environment.
To detect their target, sensors emit light at a certain size referred to as the spot size. Spot size can vary significantly. Because of this, it’s important that the target is larger than the spot size to ensure reliable and consistent operation. If you need to detect a small UV marking that’s 2 mm long, you wouldn’t want a sensor with a 25 mm spot size.
It’s important to know the size of the target or object for considering speed as well — particularly in fast-moving production lines. Reliable detection requires the target to be present in the sensor light spot long enough to be acknowledged by the sensor; otherwise, it won’t be able to accurately and reliably detect the target — negating the purpose of the sensor in the first place.
In all but the slowest-moving production lines, understanding the speed at which the target will be moving under the sensor is essential for reliable detection. In addition to the speed of the target, the sensor’s response time, sampling rate, and the size of the target all contribute to successful detection. And as mentioned above, the target must be in the sensor’s light spot long enough for the sensor to trigger a response. Sensors that have response times faster than 100uS are generally suitable for all but the highest speed/smallest target applications.
Another important sensor selection criterion is understanding the space between the sensor and the target in the production line. Most sensors don’t operate at distances greater than 100 mm — applications at or above that figure will require a higher-sensitivity (and potentially higher cost) sensor. When evaluating sensors based on distance, it’s best to choose a sensor that will provide reliable detection and place it at the optimum distance rather than fix a distance requirement and try to find a sensor that will work.
Another factor in successful detection is knowing whether your application will see variations in the sensor-to-target distance (known as “flutter”). Because sensors measure differences in light collected by sensor optics, changes in distance will cause changes in the light perceived. Whether this causes an issue with reliable detection depends on the difference between presence and absence levels. If there will be a greater difference, then a greater allowable distance variation must be considered.
As sensor manufacturing experts with proven success in multiple applications, our team understands the various sensor selection criteria that must be navigated to identify and implement a successful solution. Whether it’s our UVX series for detecting luminescence, our ColorMax series for verifying and measuring color on various materials, or any one of our many specialty sensors, we offer a full portfolio of industrial sensors to automate and streamline your production with pinpoint accuracy.
The first step is discussing your application with our engineering team. We’ll then conduct a test using the most likely sensor solution and will provide you with a written report detailing how the sensor will perform, what the ideal mounting and distance configurations should be, and other valuable information.
Connect with us today to schedule your complimentary sensor test.
Right
Sensor forYour
ApplicationSelecting the right sensor technology might be seem like a daunting task, but below is a detailed guide to help you select the best solution for your project:
High Performance motion & tilt sensors are utilized in many industries, even those considered to have harsh environments. In the Military & Aerospace sectors, the use of High precision accelerometers and inclinometers has been widespread for critical navigation, flight control or stabilization functions for decades. The rise of inertial systems used in industrial applications during the last years is driven by the possibility of integrating new functionality at low-cost and good performance, mostly thanks to the recent developments in MEMS sensor technology. To name a few, Bridge Monitoring, Structural Monitoring, Rail Transportation, and a wide range of other Industrial markets including Solar & Wind, Oil & Gas, and Mining are all benefiting from the performance improvements and even cost reductions from new technologies and advancements in integrated circuits.
For Inertial applications, Force Balance Sensors are generally more accurate, offer higher resolution, can be fluid-damped for applications with high shock and vibration, and are extremely rugged devices. Inertial sensors with MEMS-based technology tend to be less expensive, but while still can offer high performance, do not typically offer the same level as force balance. Jewell Instruments offers Accelerometers and Inclinometers. For static applications, Electrolytic sensors can offer high-to-Ultra precision capabilities to even 1 nanoradian resolution, but are generally used on Geophysical and Geotechnical applications above or below ground or underwater installations with no shock or vibration during measurements.
For a detailed explanation of each technology, please review the following technical notes:
Both of our Force-balance & MEMS technology have accelerometer and inclinometer options available. How are they different?
A device that senses the inertial reaction of a proof-mass for the purpose of measuring linear or angular acceleration and provides a usable output in proportion to the applied acceleration. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time. Change in velocity or the acceleration of an object can be from a change in its speed, direction, or both. Acceleration, a, is expressed mathematically with the equation:
where Vf is the final velocity, Vi, the initial velocity, and t is time. A decrease in velocity, where Vf is smaller than Vi, is a negative acceleration, also referred to as deceleration. The acceleration unit g is equal to the local gravitational field, which is equivalent to free-fall acceleration. An Angular Accelerometer is a device that senses angular (rotational) acceleration about its input axis and provides an output from moment of inertia acting on a proof-mass, which is proportional to the angular acceleration input. The input is typically in units of radians per second squared (rad/sec2).
At Jewell Instruments, we design and manufacture high precision accelerometers to measure acceleration, vibration, shock, and motion in various applications. These accelerometers are driven by MEMS and force balance technology, making them ideal for a wide range of industrial, commercial, and sensing requirements. Jewell precision accelerometers are offered in single-axis, dual-axis, and tri-axis configurations.
Jewell accelerometers utilize closed-loop sensor technology to produce an accurate output with high resolution. The inertial sensor output is an analog voltage, current, or digital signal proportional to applied acceleration and tilt from DC through a specified frequency. Jewell has produced inertial sensor torquers and complete acceleration sensing assemblies for decades. Jewell inertial sensors are used throughout the world for detecting acceleration up to ±40G. An inertial sensor responds to both earth’s gravity and acceleration.
Some important parameters to consider before choosing an accelerometer:
If you have any questions, a knowledgeable sales team at the manufacturer’s end will help you choose the right accelerometer sensor based on your needs. Being at the forefront of high quality and high precision technologies and products, we understand the precision that various industries demand. We have obtained extensive application knowledge over the years. This allows us to build custom high precision accelerometers for specific applications.
A sensor used for measuring an inclination relative to the horizontal of an axis referenced to Earth’s gravity. Tilt values are usually defined in “degrees”. Inclinometers are sometimes referred to as clinometers, tiltmeters or tilt sensors. An inclinometer with good resolution is able to measure the smallest of inclinations or slopes. There are several tilt sensors available with varying accuracy. For example, MEMS are relatively lower-accuracy inclinometers and are superseded by forced balanced, liquid capacitive which offer high accuracy, but their large size makes them impractical for a few applications. This brings electrolytic miniature tilt sensors as the widely popular parts in very compact size, exceptional resolution, and high repeatability.
Inclinometer is an effective sensor used for a wide range of applications across many industries worldwide. Construction workers use inclinometers to check if the ground is level or slope relative to the horizontal plane. They are also used in surveying to measure the slope of land relative to sea level. Other than this, inclinometers can also be used in scientific experiments and geological research. Additionally, precision tilt sensors are an essential tool for many industries including meteorology, hydropower plant, nuclear power plant, water conservancy project, among others that rely on accurate incline measurements.
Note that an accelerometer and an inclinometer are the same device. The distinction is one of application, not operation. Accelerometer users typically sense changes in velocity and characterize outputs and errors in g. Inclinometer users sense changes in angular position and think of outputs and errors in units of angular measurement. An inertial instrument responds to both earth’s gravity and acceleration. The inclinometer output is sensing the angle with the respect to the gravity vector. The output follows the relationship of g x sin Ꙩ, where g is acceleration of gravity; sin is trigonometric sine function, Ꙩ is reference angle with respect to the gravity vector. The output can be converted to degrees by the arcsine function.
A few more application examples include Robot vertical referencing, Auto manufacturing suspension install, Dam sluice gate control, Antenna leveling, Weapons platforms, Missile launchers, Geophysical low range tilt sensing, Platform orientation, Ship and barge leveling, Deviation surveys, Continuous casting for steel industry, Weapons platform leveling, Aircraft flight control, Crane overturning-moment alarms, Electronic level applications.
Jewell high precision inclinometers are used to accurately measure the angle, slope, or tilt of objects in various applications. This measurement is made relative to the gravity of the object. We provide single and dual MEMS and Force-balance inclinometers with analog or digital output signals to meet clients’ measurement requirements. In addition to this, we provide these precision inclinometers sensors in different signal ranges, packages, and are suited for harsh environmental conditions. Inclinometer sensors from Jewell Instruments are widely used for surface measurements in utilities, oil and gas, and construction industries due to their unique features:
Some important parameters to consider before choosing an inclinometer:
Jewell Instruments offers a wide range of high precision inclinometers to meet the rising demand from varied industrial applications. The following will provide some important factors to consider when choosing the best inclinometer sensor for your project:
*Note:
The required cable length can also be an important factor in determining the best sensor since:
If you are looking for a leading inclinometer sensor manufacturer and supplier, we are your best choice. With several years of experience in the market, we are committed to offer you the industry best precision inclinometers that stand the test of the time. Once a technology is selected for a high precision accelerometer or inclinometer, exactly what specific model sensor depends on a range of factors for a given application.
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