Lasermeters provide affordable level measuring

A K-Tek product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 2, 2002

K-Tek has perfected an inexpensive laser level, distance and position transmitter that accurately measures bulk solids and opaque liquids under harsh conditions.

K-Tek has perfected an inexpensive laser level, distance and position transmitter that accurately measures bulk solids and opaque liquids under harsh conditions.

Offered in two models, the LMC4 and its more lightweight cousin, the LM02, K-Tek's lasermeters bring the physical benefits of laser level measurement to an expanded range of industries that seek an economical solution to measuring the contents of tanks, silos, hoppers, bins, mineshafts, mixing basins and tubs.

As the only manufacturer of laser level-meters located in the USA, K-Tek is uniquely positioned to deliver lasermeters at one-third to one-half the cost of imported units.

Thanks to K-Tek's easily-mounted, power-efficient units, manufacturing and process engineers in plastics, mining, pulp and paper, chemical, food processing, foundry operations, cement, agriculture or biotech industries can now harness the advantages of laser-level measurement to determine the level/height of materials in large containers and storage areas.

Because the K-Tek laser wavelength is only 1um - as opposed to radar's wavelength of over 10,000um - it has virtually no beam divergence and can measure to surfaces at an angle.

No beam divergence means no false echoes from tank walls and other objects between the lasermeter and the material being measured.

False echoes are common problems for both radar and ultrasonic due to their large beam angle.

Whether the material being measured is in a cone-up or cone-down position, the K-Tek lasermeter still reliably determines the level of these uneven surfaces because all materials look rough to the lasers short wavelength.

Lasers far outshine ultrasound measuring devices, in particular, because lasers remain immune to false readings from ambient sounds, weather conditions, and the acoustic properties and surface topology of the material being tested.

Unlike radar, laser beams are unaffected by the dielectric properties or angularity of the material.

K-Tek lasermeters also perform better under adverse conditions.

As the LM4C model can traverse distances up to 120m, it can be mounted high enough to avoid damage, or simply located behind heat resistant glass.

The confined laser beam allows passage between narrow grids, and can even be programmed to ignore passing objects like rocks coming down a chute.

Available dust tubes ensure continuous operation under high-particulate ambient environments.

"We now use a K-Tek lasermeter to measure resin pellets in a dryer-hopper", says Allen Shumaker, a senior resident engineer at 3M Company in Brookings, South Dakota.

"We tried ultrasonic levelling but got too many echoes off the walls of the hopper.

It kept giving us false readings".

"Setting up the K-Tek laser is pretty easy - all we had to do is set the low level, set the high level, and the limits", continues Shumaker.

"It's worked very well ever since - With some resins we get a lot of dust, but so far it hasn't affected our measurements.

I haven't even needed to clean off the lens or anything".

K-Tek's lasermeters are easily programmed with a PC or Palm Pilot - no special configuration software is needed.

Convenient portable mounting can position the laser in any direction.

Additionally, K-Tek uses Class 1 lasers, making the lasermeters completely safe for the human eye - no special safety glasses are required.

As the only level-gauge manufacturer in the world to hold ASME code-stamp capability in house, along with ISO9001, FM, CSA, and Cenelec certification, K-Tek can assure high quality laser level measurement.

K-Tek's LMC4 lasermeter fits most heavy duty applications thanks to rugged housing, integral dust tubes, visible pointers, and a long distance capability of 120m.

The lightweight LMO2 also features corrosion resistant construction and is ideal for inexpensive level measuring applications up to 40m.

Both units operate on 24V DC and come equipped with outputs of 4-20mA, RS232, and two open-collector relay outputs.

All K-Tek lasermeters are immediately available for shipping.