With the Speetec, Sick completes its current product line of systems for measuring speed and length of linear moving objects with new laser measurement technology directly on the product surface. This new non-contact sensor is able to measure on a wide range of continuous webs and objects and allows dimensional checks and cuts to be carried out with very high precision.
From a market point of view, the non-contact speed sensor fills a gap between the solutions of encoders with contact measuring wheels and Laser velocimeters, which are often very expensive and with high constraints.
Look yes, touch, no: the sensor for special materials
For sensitive, flexible and fragile surfaces, customers in the industrial automation and logistics sector need contactless measurement systems for measuring length, or speed on continuous bands but also on singular objects, for cutting process for example or synchronization. Optical scanning avoids damage or streaks and thus increases the quality of the finished product. Speetec offers a new possibility to measure without slipping, without measurement reference or markings and also without wear unlike contact systems. Materials which cause wear, abrasion or fouling of contact systems such as measuring wheel encoders and thus affect their performance can now be measured by Speetec thus ensuring a high level of performance, reliability, longevity and equipment availability .
Safe and precise measuring principle
Thanks to its safe Laser Class 1, the Speetec constitutes, according to Sick, a perfect alternative to expensive laser velocimeters which also require the installation of costly additional protective devices. The return on investment with Speetec is therefore, according to its designers, particularly attractive since it is generated in most cases within a few months.
The non-contact measuring principle uses the Laser Doppler effect up to speeds of 10 m / s. Two diodes emit laser light - one in the direction of movement of the object, the other in the opposite direction. The two transmitters operate independently of each other and thus compensate for possible 1/3 installation tolerances and structural variations such as, for example, corrugated surfaces. All measurements are carried out with a high level of precision: with a resolution of four microns, the measurement precision obtained is one millimeter over an object length of one meter and the repeatability is 5 / 10th of a millimeter. The output of the measured values, facilitating integration, is carried out via TTL or HTL interfaces common in the encoder sector. The output signals for carrying out the measurements are of the TTL or HTL type and are identical to conventional encoders which makes integration easy.
Better productivity while conserving resources
The Speetec makes it possible to measure length, speed and position from linear movements, but also to discriminate their direction, whether continuous or variable. Furthermore, measurement in applications with acceleration phases is possible even if the dynamics of the movements are high, because on the Speetec it takes less than three milliseconds between the measurement of the movement and the output of the measured values. Comparable systems are significantly less efficient and responsive. For measuring speed or length over short distances, the SICK sensor opens up new possibilities for current solutions and helps reduce scrap costs and resources. While velocimeters often require a scrolling several meters of material, with the Speetec it is possible to reliably measure even singular objects the size of a business card.
Award-winning design
The rugged design of the housing was designed for long term use. Its shape and compact size characterize the quality of its development and allow integration even in limited spaces. The elongated shape of the window and the box with rounded edges indicate the direction of measurement and assembly. These characteristics convinced the jury of the iF Design Award. In the Product discipline, Speetec received the iF Design Award 2020.
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