A new infrared temperature sensor has been launched that breaks new boundaries in terms of low noise and low ambient drift.
The new thermoMETER CSm hs from precision sensor manufacturer Micro-Epsilon is suitable for measuring extremely small temperature differences down to 0.025°C. Alternative sensors currently on the market measure temperature differences down to 0.1°C at best.
The very high sensitivity of the thermoMETER CSm hs is achieved by utilising a new type of infrared detector material developed by Micro-Epsilon. This unique thermal and electronic design – which has no moving parts such as chopper wheels – ensures a very low ambient drift and results in a sensor that has a noise level of five to seven times less than alternative thermometers.
Chris Jones, Managing Director at Micro-Epsilon (UK) Ltd comments: “Our biggest challenge has been to find out which customers actually need to measure temperature differences down to this kind of level. We’ve already had interest from the medical and biological sectors, micro-electronics, glass producers, as well as manufacturers of solar panels, producers of flat screen LCD displays and semiconductor processing companies.”
In the processing of the latest solar panels and flat screen LCDs, for example, special homogeneous coatings are required on the glass and other substrates. “If the temperature of the glass is allowed to fluctuate, the homogeneity of the substrate cannot be guaranteed, which means the end user or customer of a flat screen TV may discover surface imperfections in the form of inferior or incorrect colours on the display. If the temperature of the glass increases then the sheet of glass extends and the printed dots on an LCD display can end up in the wrong position. It is therefore critical that manufacturers can measure micro- and nano-scale temperature changes in the glass before printing of the substrate takes place,” explains Jones.
The thermoMETER CSm hs also benefits from having a special, thermal shockproof stainless steel housing. As Jones states: “The problem with alternative temperature measurement products such as thermal imaging cameras, is that if the ambient temperature suddenly increases or decreases by five degrees Centigrade, the sensor performance is adversely affected. With our new sensor and its thermally-insulated housing, the object temperature reading is not affected by changes in the ambient temperature.”
The sensor has a very compact design, enabling it to be mounted in restricted spaces in a wide variety of industrial applications. The sensor has a standard 4-20mA analogue output and integrated digital interface, enabling integration with popular process control devices.
The ‘CompactConnect’ software supplied with the sensor simplifies sensor set up and enables the device to be set up and configured remotely. The sensor supports multi-tasking and has a graphical display for temperature trends and automatic data logging tools for analyses and documentation.
The customer can adjust the signal processing functions and can programme the outputs and inputs. The sensor even adjusts itself automatically to emissivity, greatly simplifying the customisation of sensors for individual customer requirements. The latest software versions of CompactConnect can be downloaded from www.micro-epsilon.co.uk
For more information on Micro-Epsilon’s thermoMETER CSm hs infrared temperature sensor, please call the sales department on 0151 355 6070 or email: info@micro-epsilon.co.uk
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