Durham Instruments laser sensor is quicker and more accurate

The AR700 sensor, available from Durham Instruments

Acuity’s laser displacement sensors are available in Canada from Durham Instruments, and the AccuRange 700 series, or AR700, is the quickest and most accurate one available for measuring distances. A long-awaited upgrade of the popular AR600, this sensor is designed to meet the demands of users who want better speed and resolution for a variety of industrial and scientific applications, including high- and low-speed road profiling, railroad inspection, lumber, measuring thickness, steel slab width, and others.

How it works

A type of triangulation sensor, the AR700 projects a beam of laser light, which creates a spot on a target surface. Inside the sensor, a CMOS detector array views the reflected light from an angle. From here, the sensor’s microprocessor helps to calculate the target’s distance from the image pixel data. Then the distance info is transmitted through either analog outputs or serial communications. A different measurement range is available from other sensor models.

The AR700 is capable of output speeds as high as 9,400 Hz (or 9,400 distance readings per second) and resolutions ranging as low as one-sixth of a micrometre, depending on the model. The sensor itself is compact and lightweight, measuring only 25 by 50 by 75 millimetres, which is about one-fifth the size of the AR600.

The sensor has a Trigger Mode that allows workers to use serial command or discrete hardware triggers to begin sampling. This is also suitable for synchronizing multiple sensors. With the hardware trigger on, the AR700 can reach a speed of up to 4,500 Hz.

The AR700 also promises resolution three times better than that of the AR600. The newer sensor can specify a resolution of 0.005 per cent of the measurement span, with resolutions measured on targets of 85 per cent diffuse reflectance and in static conditions.

This sensor is the smart choice for many industries, including aerospace, automation, forestry, the military, mining, transportation, and even in classrooms.

About the distributor

Based in Toronto, Durham Instruments has supplied quantitative measuring instruments for more than three decades. It has additional locations in British Columbia, Quebec and southwestern Ontario.

To learn more, contact Durham Instruments.

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