Capacitive sensors for displacement, distance and position

capaNCDT

Capacitive sensors are designed for non-contact measurement of displacement, distance and position, as well as for thickness measurement. Due to their high signal stability and resolution, capacitive displacement sensors are applied in laboratories and industrial measurement tasks. In production control, for example, capacitive sensors measure film thickness and application of the adhesive. Installed in machines, they monitor displacement and tool positions.

Characteristics
  • Non-contact measurement of displacement, distance and thickness as well as on electrical conductors and insulators
  • Unmatched accuracy for laboratories and industry
  • Customer-specific sensors and controllers
  • All capaNCDT sensors, cables and controllers are fully compatible
  • Versatile application possibilities due to comprehensive product range
  • The very latest controller technology ensures ease of use

High interference immunity against magnetic fields

For environments with strong magnetic fields, Micro-Epsilon offers sensors and sensor cables which are made from non-magnetic materials such as titanium and stainless steel. The shielding achieved by the triaxial design provides extremely high immunity to interference.

Vacuum and clean room applications

Capacitive displacement sensors from Micro-Epsilon are often used in vacuum and clean room applications where they achieve resolutions in the subnanometer range in particle-free surroundings. For vacuum applications, Micro-Epsilon offers special sensors, cables and feed-through accessories. These sensors and cables are particle-free to a high degree and used in clean rooms up to clean room class ISO1.

Highest precision surrounded by extreme temperatures

Unlike conventional non-contact measurement techniques, capacitive displacement sensors from Micro-Epsilon are characterized by highest measurement accuracy. As thermally induced conductivity changes of the measurement object have no influence on measurements, the measurement values remain stable even with fluctuating temperatures. For example, capacitive displacement sensors are used for distance measurements of superconductive magnets. The temperature-resistant sensor design enables ambient temperatures up to -270 °C while maintaining maximum resolution of the measurement value.

New: Precise measurements at high ambient temperatures

For measurements of high temperatures up to +800 °C, the new CSE HT sensors are used. The high-temperature sensors are operated with the high-performance capaNCDT 6228 controllers.

Full compatibility: sensor and controller exchange without calibration

capaNCDT sensors, cables and controllers can be interchanged quickly and easily. Due to their innovative technology, additional calibration and linearization is not required. Easy interchangeability of capaNCDT components and the simple replacement of sensors with different measuring ranges can be carried out on site within a short time frame. Micro-Epsilon offers the worldwide largest variety of combinations in capacitive displacement measurement.

Modern and user-friendly controller technology

Modern capaNCDT controllers are equipped with various interfaces, e.g., analog, Ethernet, EtherCAT and PROFINET. This means that the capacitive sensors from Micro-Epsilon can be easily integrated into machines and systems. The web interfaces enables user-friendly setup and commissioning  via a web browser. For this purpose, a PC is connected to the controller via the Ethernet interface. All settings, filters and arithmetic functions are stored directly in the controller for intelligent signal processing.

Analog RS485 Ethernet Ethercat Profinet

Capacitive sensors for series applications and OEM

We adapt our measuring systems to customer-specific measurement tasks according to your instructions, e.g., design, target calibration, cryogenic environments, vacuum/UHV, cable lengths, modified measuring ranges or sensors with integrated controller. Learn more about sensor adjustments.

Capacitive sensors: How they work and when they are used

Capacitive sensors are based on the detection of change in capacity. With a plate-type capacitor, the capacity between two plates of constant size can be changed by altering their distance or by placing a dielectric in the measuring gap. With the capacitive measuring principle, the sensor (measurement electrode) and the conductive measurement object act like an ideal plate-type capacitor. If an alternating current of constant frequency flows through the sensor capacitor, the amplitude of the alternating voltage on the sensor is proportional to the distance to the target (ground electrode). However, a constant dielectric between sensor and target is required for a constant permittivity.

Stable measurement with triaxial design
As capaNCDT sensors are designed as guard ring capacitors, almost ideal linearity characteristics are also achieved in practice. Capacitive sensors from Micro-Epsilon are used in industrial measurement tasks in order to detect a medium in the measuring gap from a constant distance or to measure the distance from a conductive target with a constant medium or dielectric.

Applications

Micro-Epsilon Messtechnik
Königbacher Str. 15
94496 Ortenburg, Germany
info@micro-epsilon.com
+49 8542 / 168 - 0
+49 8542 / 168 - 90