Laser-line profile sensor

The scanControl 2700/ 2710 laser line profile sensor from Micro-Epsilon can acquire profiles of the most varied target surfaces. Consisting of a compact sensor with integrated electronics, it is suitable for an industrial environment, especially in automation systems because of its relative small size. Typical tasks include measurement of profiles, angles, gaps and clearance.

The scanControl 2700/ 2710 laser profile sensor uses the triangulation principle for the procurement of two-dimensional profiles. In contrast with the common laser point sensors, a line optical system projects a laser line onto the surface of the target object. The light reflected from the laser line is measured on a CMOS array by a high-quality optical system, and the controller then outputs both the distance information (z-axis) and also the true position along the laser line (x-axis). Both values are output in the sensor’s two-dimensional coordinate system. By moving either the object or the profile sensor itself, a three-dimensional representation of the object can be generated.

The integrated FireWire interface in this laser line scanner allows full control of the system from a PC, also giving high data rates, while simultaneously preserving the bandwidth. This laser profile sensor system is distinguished by its high scanning rate and measurement accuracy. It has a profile frequency of 100 Hz and linearity is approximately ±0.2% full-scale output.

With fast moving profiles, high accuracy can be achieved for the complete profile using a high-speed shutter. While the matrix is being read by the system, the next image is being recorded.