Etalon is driving industry-4.0 concept ahead: New Technology for … – elektroniknet.de

A new method of length measurement could the concept of industry give 4.0 feed: Built on an absolute measuring interferometer »Absolute Multiline” technology etalon measures lengths up to 20 meters with an uncertainty of only 0.5 mu.m per meter – and up to 100 channels at a time. Thus, production lines

could realize that recognize even the smallest standard deviations safe. Developed by etalon together with scientists from the University of Oxford, patented measuring method combines the very high resolution and the metrological traceability of a conventional interferometer with the advantages of absolute measuring systems. Unlike conventional interferometers, however, the used in the Absolute multi-line technology laser beam can be interrupted at any time, without that accuracy suffers: Within fractions of a second, the absolute distance is determined again

“An absolutely. -measuring optical system with this accuracy did not exist previously, “explains Dr. Heinrich Schwenke, in 2004 as a spin-off of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt founded (PTB) Etalon AG. “Through the absolute measurement and long-term observations can be made fail-safe that would not be possible with an incremental system because this would lose the reference in case of interruption of the measuring beam, for example due to power failure, oil drops, coolant, a fly or by shading.”

  Source: © etalon
 

One application for the absolute multi-line technology is the continuous metrological monitoring of large machines

The metrological traceability of absolute multi-line technology is backed by the return to a fundamental physical constant.: in each measurement, the molecular absorption spectrum of a gas cell is sampled, which is stable for decades. Thus, the system for each measurement is automatically recalibrated. Comparative measurements with a conventional interferometer at the National Physical Laboratory in England confirmed a measurement uncertainty of 0.5 ppm – equivalent to 0.5 microns per meter -. At distances from 0.2 to 20 m

A Absolute Multiline system is depending on the requirement, equipped with eight to 100 extremely compact measuring channels. A single sensor consists of a commercially available glass fiber and a miniaturized optics without electronic components. Each channel can detect movement and vibration of the object to be measured with a time resolution of about 500 kHz. And because the distance between the sensor and evaluation unit can be several kilometers, the systems can the measurements even under harsh environmental conditions, far away from the transmitter, perform. The measuring signal is not affected by electromagnetic radiation, so that the installation of the sensors for example, in Supply chains without loss of accuracy is possible.

Secure Control of Production Lines

The production applications are versatile. This could take as a parent metrology system to control the entire in-line metrology of a production hall an absolute multi-line system for meadow. The automated metrological monitoring of manufacturing robots using reference lines is possible. Integrated in a production line, they could continuously monitor the calibration of a machine and initiate, if necessary compensatory measures to ensure that the components remain in the required dimensions. And the geometric long-term monitoring of the dimensional stability of devices and the detection of deformations and vibrations (thermo) mechanical systems such as generators, turbines, pressure vessels are conceivable.

“The principle of absolute multi-line technology comes from originally of accelerator research, “said Dr. Schwenke. “But the technology also has many industrial applications. It provides the foundation for intelligent machines and structures that monitor themselves and can therefore also be a building block in the future concept Industry 4.0″

Editors: nw