Tilt Sensor Applications

Tilt Sensors are also known as inclinometers. They are a type of position sensor used to measure angles or the slope of an object.

Inclinometers are one of the most common types of position sensors available and are used throughout many industries.

Tilt Sensor Applications

Tilt sensors angles and slopes. Therefore, anything which works based on angles will use a tilt sensor or a rotary position sensor.

Some example applications include:

• Robotics Tilt sensors are used for machine arm angle sensing, ensuring the arm movements are at the precise position.
• Marine applications Tilt sensors are used for a variety of marine applications, in particular, boom angle sensing.
• Industrial Vehicles In industrial vehicles, tilt sensors are used to monitor tip-over protection and for various applications in cranes and construction vehicles.
• Aerospace Tilt sensors are used for applications in aircraft orientation and on the red arrows.
• Industrial applications - Platform levelling is a popular application in the industrial sector which uses tilt sensors.
• Security Tilt sensors monitor security camera angle sensing and mobile security systems.
• Mobile phones Very small tilt sensors are incorporated into mobile phones to alter the screen orientation depending on the way the phone is being held.
• Measuring ski slope steepness - For safety reasons.

Tilt Sensors Working Principle

There are different types of tilt sensors and they have slightly different working principles.

Simple tilt sensors work by using a metallic ball connecting two pins, moving within the sensor. The ball moves position as the sensor tilts which connects the circuit turning the sensor "on" or "off".

More complex tilt sensors use an internal gyroscope which measures the direction of the pull from gravity to determine the orientation of the device.

Our Positek tilt sensors use their technology to measure tilt. Two damped pendulum vanes have positioned on either side of an inductive differential coil. The vanes stay stationary when the sensor is rotated which changes the inductance of the coil. The electronics then convert this into the output of choice.

Tilt Sensor Features and Specifications

Tilt sensors have the following features;

• High reliability
• High accuracy
• Easy to operate
• Do not use much power
• Low cost

   

Different types of tilt sensors have different specifications to make them suitable for different applications. When selecting your tilt sensor, it's important to consider the following;

• Sensitivity some tilt sensors are more sensitive than others, depending on the increments which require measuring will impact the sensitivity of the sensor required.
• Number of Axis the number of the axis will affect the angles and direction the sensor can measure.
• Resolution the resolution affects the minimum inclination which will need to be detected by the sensor.
• Measuring range how big are the angles of measurement within the application? This will affect the type of sensor selected.
• Accuracy different applications may require different degrees of accuracy, so it is important to select a tilt sensor which reflects the requirements.
• Noise Tolerance - Our tilt sensors offer noise tolerance as standard.
• Certification requirements we offer tilt sensors which are suitable for intrinsically safe environments as well as underwater applications.

Tilt Sensors from Positek

Tilt sensors from Positek offer extended life cycles and are manufactured from corrosion-resistant materials. They use our technology like all our sensors and are manufactured on site which means custom options are available.

See all our tilt sensors here