Acuity laser displacement sensors measure position, object dimensions

Durham Instruments supplies the Acuity AccuRange 700 series of gauges.

Durham Instruments supplies a variety of laser displacement sensors by Acuity, including the AccuRange 700 series. An upgrade of the AR600 gauges, these non-contact metrology devices measure position and object dimensions, with faster, more accurate performance. These units are very compact, each measuring only 25 by 50 by 75 millimetres, or nearly 80 per cent smaller than the AR600 models. The AR700 has output speeds up to 9,400 hertz and resolutions as low as 1/6 of a micrometer.

Trigger for synchronizing multiple sensors

Unique and with straightforward specifications, the AR700 series can output 9,400 distance readings in a second, unlike similar instruments by competing manufacturers, who often quote the detector’s maximum sample rate. With other laser displacement sensors, users never see data output rates so high through serial or analog interfaces or the cumbersome controllers needed to operate the sensor heads.

Each of these instruments has a special Trigger Mode, which enables sampling through serial command or discrete hardware triggers; it can also be used to synchronize multiple sensors. The maximum speed of this hardware trigger is lowered to 4,500 hertz. With a size of less than eight cubic inches, each of these laser displacement sensors houses all electronics for measurement, with no external controller or amplifier required. Included are the sensor head and two metres of cable. Longer-range sensors have longer mechanical enclosures.

The AR700 series offers a three-fold improvement of resolution over the AR600 models, as optics and digital detectors have been enhanced over time. Resolution is the smallest increment of distance that the distance gauge can detect. These devices specify a resolution of 0.0005 per cent of the measurement span for all models in the series; resolution is measured on targets of 85 per cent diffuse reflectance (white) and in static conditions.

These are versatile devices, suitable for high-speed road profiling, railroad inspection, metals, lumber, road profiling, thickness measurement, semiconductor equipment, concrete block profile, and steel-slab width. Durham Instruments recommends them for many industries, including aerospace, automation, food processing, forestry, the medical field, the military, mining, packaging, power generation, and transportation.

For more information, contact Durham Instruments.

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