Cross-beam optical sensor detects smaller objects
A
Panasonic Electric Works UK product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Aug 4, 2000
Matsushita Electric Works has introduced the UZKB1 optical sensor, which uses the cross-beam scanning principle to accurately detect small or particularly slim objects.
Sensing of very small or thin objects can be a problem with conventional optical sensing systems, but now an answer is at hand.
Matsushita Electric Works has introduced the UZKB1 optical sensor, which uses the cross-beam scanning principle to accurately detect small or particularly slim objects.
A conventional area sensor looks at parallel emitting and receiving elements in turn.
This can, however, mean that an object may not be detected if it falls between adjacent beams.
However, using Matsushita's UZKB1 cross-beam scanning system, the beams cross over and intersect in such a way that light from each and every transmit element is cycled through and scanned by all eleven receiving elements, thus forming an optical grating.
In this way, the object-however narrow-will be trapped by these intersecting beams and is clearly detected by the sensor.
Just one element failing to receive an emitted light is enough to trigger an interrupt function.
The sensor itself is a mere 10mm wide, but realises a wide sensing area of 1m length and 100mm width and can detect objects accurately, as small as ?13.5mm.
This makes it suitable for object sensing on an assembly line or for detecting the dropping of small objects whose travel path is uncertain, for example, post cards or envelopes in a mail sort machine.
The wiring of this innovative device is made simple because the sensor is self-synchronising, thus eliminating the need for a connecting cable between emitter and receiver.
Furthermore, both exit cable directions are freely adjustable enabling the UZKB1 to be mounted in the most confined of spaces.
All this makes for a versatile, easy to install and very useful machine inspection device.
For further operational versatility Matsushita's UZKB1 offers Light-On and Dark-On switching, as well as NPN or PNP output options, all types conform to relevant global approvals.
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