LASER PROFILE SCANNING OF VALVE BASE Posted in: Updates
In this application, engineers tested the Acuity AP620-7 laser line sensor to make dimensional profiles of a small polymer part used in an industrial applications. Currently, the company uses calipers and comparators to measure this part.
The area to be measured is a diameter at the circumferential “shoulder” formed by the floor of the part and an interior wall. Proper detection of the joint between the 30° wall and the horizontal surface was very important. Additionally, it was critical to align the laser line with the diameter of the circular part and not a chord. Any misalignment would result in a shorter diameter measurement. Engineers suggested scanning the part as it passed beneath the scan line and then capturing several cross-sectional frames. Software algorithms could be used to determine the maximum dimension of all collected and this number would be the diameter. The size and shape of the part presented several challenges for using a line sensor. The small part had rather tiny features and that is why engineers chose the most accurate model of Acuity laser line sensor because it could resolve the tiny features of the part. That the area of interest was located within the cup-shaped part also presented challenges for applying the line sensor which relies on triangulation measurement principles. Although it was simple to project the laser line across the target, the height of the part’s walls would block the view by the detector. This is why simple laser triangulation sensors can not be used to measure down narrow bore holes, tubes, etc. The laser may reach the target, but the detector can’t see because the height of the walls occlude its view. To overcome this occlusion, the laser line sensor was deliberately tilted so that there was an unobstructed path for both the emitted and reflected beams.
Sarah has been our technical support and sales engineer for 5+ years. If you've ever reached out to Acuity Laser for tech support, more than likely, Sarah is the one who helped you.
