Non-Contact Sensors

Non-contact sensors are what we manufacture here at Positek. There are different types of technology used for non-contact sensors, each type of technology has different benefits and suits different applications.

There has recently been a higher demand for non-contact sensors over contacting alternatives. This blog post discusses different types of non-contacting position sensors and how they work.

What is a Non-Contact Sensor?

A non-contact sensor uses technology which doesn't come into physical contact. The technology within a contacting position sensor will consist of a track and a slider. The slider will move along the track to measure position of an object. This method of measuring position often causes wear and tear within the sensor and although contacting sensors are lower cost, they can cost more long term as they require more frequent replacement.

Within non-contacting sensors, the moving parts do not touch, this means there is no wear and tear on the sensor giving them a mechanical virtually infinite life and consistent excellent performance. Various different types of non-contacting sensors use different technologies; magnetic fields, lasers, ultrasonic sounds waves, to name a few. Each type of technology is used for different types of applications with different specifications.

Benefits of Non-Contact Sensors

Non-contact sensors have many benefits;

· Long life

· Consistence excellent performance

· High reliability

· High dependability

· Resistant to environmental factors such as dust and dirt

· Well suited to a wide range of industries

Non-Contact Sensor Technologies

As stated above, there is a wide range of non-contacting sensor technologies on the market today. All the sensors we manufacture on-site use our very own technology which is non-contacting and well-proven in a wide range of applications.

PIPS Technology PIPS stands for Positek Inductive Position Sensor. Our sensors are available as either linear or rotary. They work in a similar way to Eddie Current sensors or LVDT sensors. They use simple single-layer coils of robust wire and have a better length to measurement ratio. Instead of measuring losses in the coil, they measure the change in inductance and reject loss changes.

Our PIPS sensors are temperature stable and we also have a range suitable with ATEX approval for intrinsically safe environments and a fully waterproof range for submersible applications.

Some other examples of non-contacting technologies are;

Hall Effect this can be either linear or rotary and uses magnetic fields. Our sister company Variohm has a range of Hall Effect rotary sensors which can be customised to your requirements.

LVDT/RVDT these sensors work similarly to our sensors using metal coils. They are also available through our sister companies.

There are many other types of non-contact sensor technologies, these include;

· Inductive sensors

· Magneto resistive sensors

· Laser sensors

· Capacitive sensors

· Ultrasonic sensors

· Eddy current sensors

Sensors using these technologies are all available from one or more of the companies within Variohm Holdings.

Non-Contact Sensors from Positek

All our PIPS products can be seen on our product menu. We can design and manufacture custom non-contact position sensors and deliver within 2 working days.

For more information on our non-contact sensors or to discuss your application please contact us.