Noncontact Displacement Sensors and Position Sensors
Lion Precision's core product is displacement/position sensors using capacitive and eddy-current technologies. These technologies offer noncontact displacement/position sensing over small ranges with high resolutions. Ranges as small as 10µm to as large as 15mm are available. Resolutions range from a few microns to subnanometer levels.
Capacitive Displacement Sensors and Position Sensors
Capacitive displacement sensors can have very high resolution and must be used in clean environments. They work equally well with any conductive target. These displacement sensors measure the surface of the conductive target and can therefore be used with very thin targets. They are used in the semiconductor, diskdrive, and precision metrology industries.
Capacitive displacement sensors can also be used with nonconductive targets like plastic and paper. In these applications, the sensors can be used to measure thickness, density, or other properties of nonconductive materials. For more information on the operation of capacitive position sensors, please see our Capacitive Sensor Operation TechNote.
Eddy-Current/Inductive Displacement Sensors and Position Sensors
Eddy-Current displacement sensors also have high resolution, although not as high as capacitive sensors, and are unaffected by debris in the measurement area. Eddy-current displacement sensors can be used in dirty hostile environments. They require conductive targets of a minimum thickness and cannot sense nonconductors; for these reasons, eddy-current sensors are not affected by liquids or material debris in the measurement area.
Eddy-Current sensors are used in manufacturing and industrial applications where environments may be dirty or hostile but precision, noncontact displacement sensing is still required
Displacement Sensor and Position Sensor Related Links
Comparing Capacitive and Eddy-Current Sensors
