PRODUCT NEWS

Blue laser sensors measure brake disc wear and deformation When a vehicle stops or slows down, the brake discs need to absorb and dissipate the entire kinetic energy of the vehicle. The high amount of energy absorbed during vehicle braking transforms into heat, which makes a brake disc glow red hot under load. The shape of the brake disc can deform during braking as higher energy is absorbed. The full extent of this deformation or disc wear can be measured using Micro-Epsilon's new optoNCDT 1700 BL Blue Laser Sensors. The wavelength of the blue laser offers significant technical advantages. With red, glowing objects, a conventional red laser has a high signal interference from the brake disc surface, because it emits the same or very near wavelengths of light as the red laser. However, the blue laser works at a wavelength of 405nm, which is far from the red part of the visible spectrum. This means it is easier to filter this type of emitted light from the brake disc, which ensures very stable signals. The blue laser therefore provides a unique advantage when it comes to measuring vehicle brake disc deformation or wear. An appropriate sensor design prevents damage to the sensor during the brake disc measurement process. Micro-Epsilon's Blue Laser Sensors are equipped with new precision optical lenses, a new intelligent laser control and evaluation algorithms. The sensors are suitable for red glowing metals up to 1,600 deg C, and for silicon up to 1,150 deg C. The optoNCDT 1700BL operates using the laser triangulation principle. A laser diode projects a visible point of light onto the surface of the target object. The light reflected from this point is then projected onto a CCD array. If the target changes position with respect to the sensor, the movement of the reflected light is projected on the CCD array and analysed to output the exact position of the target. The measurements are processed digitally in the integral controller. The data is output via analogue (I/U) and digital interface RS422 or USB. September 2011 Home - Search - Suppliers - Links - New Products - Catalogues - Magazines Problem Page - Applications - How they work - Tech Tips - Training - Events