High accuracy with the CT laser

Micro-Epsilon Berlin, a company in the Micro-Epsilon Group, is expanding its product range of non-contact, stationary infrared thermometers with the CT laser high performance version, which boasts a temperature measurement range of -40°C to 975°C.

Apart from precise sighting with the double laser, a new feature is the excellent optical resolution of 75:1 in such a low temperature range. Additionally, the CT laser measures upwards from a measuring field size of 0.9mm and, as usual from Micro-Epsilon, with a very good price/performance ratio.

The infrared thermometers in this new performance class are used in a wide variety of applications across the processing industry for non-contact temperature measurement on products, machines or tools. Increasingly, OEMs regard temperature measurement on small objects as a keypart of the machine sensor system.

A double laser sight with two beams precisely follows the infrared measurement beam path and marks, at any distance, the exact size of the measurement field, to avoid any faulty measurements. Most commercially available pyrometers use only one centre-point beam and mark only the centre and not the size of the measuring spot.

The smallest measuring spot of 0.9mm with the Micro-Epsilon CT laser is obtained at the intersection of the two laser beams, at a range of 70mm. Such small measuring spots have only recently been achieved with low temperature pyrometers, such as the CT laser. In the high temperature measurement range of pyrometers – around 300°C to 3,000°C – in the past this has always been easier to achieve due to the significantly higher radiated energy of the objects being measured.

Another important feature is the small measuring spot of 1.9mm at a measuring distance of 150mm, which is currently not achieved by any other low-temperature pyrometer on the market. As the model CT laser F (Fast) with acquisition times from 9ms, a benchmark has been set in the temperature measurement range of -40°C to 975°C. Analogue outputs, switchable from current to voltage as standard, and a type K or J thermocouple, facilitate flexible integration into control circuits. The measuring head can be used in the immediate vicinity up to a temperature of 85°C. The lasers switch off automatically from 50°C.

In addition and with immediate effect, Micro-Epsilon is fitting a PROFIBUS DP interface to all infrared thermometers in the CT laser and CT Series – on customer request. The novel feature here is the miniaturisation: as with the other digital interfaces from Micro-Epsilon, the small module is plugged into the already very compact CT electronic box directly at the factory or by the user, and after configuration is ready for immediate operation. As well as the PROFIBUS-DP module, Micro-Epsilon also offers plug-in RS232, RS485, CANopen and USB interfaces.