Sick’s New Sensor Offers Micro-Level Performance

The new OD Max displacement sensor from Sick Ltd. is suitable for applications where distance measurement is required with an accuracy in microns rather than in millimeters--such as quality assurance or surface inspections. The accuracy offered by the OD Max has been made possible by advances in measurement accuracy (which, in this device, has been improved by a factor of 10 compared to other systems) to 0.1% of the measurement area. The OD Max has a separate sensor and evaluation unit. The optical head can fit into locations with limited mounting space. In addition to processing the measured values of one or two sensors, which simply plug into its ports, the evaluation unit also contains integrated, basic arithmetical functions. These functions enable calculations to be performed on the measured values, enabling the output from the evaluation unit to directly relate to the characteristic under investigation. By employing CMOS technology,the OD Max offers advantages when targets are either highly reflective or very dark. Featuring a IP67-rated enclosure, designed to withstand nearly any industrial automation environment, the sensor is available in three variants for operating distances of 30, 85 and 350mm. Each variant offers two analogue outputs in addition to five switching outputs that are fully configurable via teach-in. In addition, two status indicators provide information on the current operating state.