Another new addition to the range of Solartron Digital Probes.

The Solartron Digital MINI Probe.                        Click to Solarton site

It was close consultation with partners in the OEM gauging industry, which lead to the development of Solartron’s new Digital Mini Probe. The demand was for a compact, rugged and high accuracy probe for gauging in confined spaces such as bores, cylinders, cones and other hard-to-access areas. The mini probe is based on a unique, parallel spring structure that is much more robust when compared to the single leaf style, which fails frequently during profiling where key slots or ridges are present. The parallel spring also ensures a very high level of repeatability both on and across the axis and can be used in dynamic applications where 3906 readings/sec is achievable. The probe offers a 0.5mm measurement range and programmable resolution to below 0.01µm. The mechanical construction of the probe greatly enhances its reliability, extending its working life and allowing it to be used in more demanding applications such as in automatic gauges. With this probe there is now a real option to change over from traditional Go/NoGo bore gauges to a reliable digital gauge.

Benefits of Digital probes over traditional LVDT probes. LVDT gauging probes provide their best performance close to its null point, requiring dedicated fixtures for each size of component being gauged. In contrast, a Digital Probe can be used at any point over its entire stroke. This new digital Lever Probe is a welcome addition to the range of Solartron Metrology's range and is available with factory preset gauging pressures ranging from 5 to 30 grams,  accepts industry standard dovetail mounts or an optional 8mm post adapter for secure mounting to existing fixtures. These Digital Lever Probes can be combined in fixtures with Solartron Digital Pencil Probes or linear encoders with multiple inputs to digital readouts or connected to a Solartron Orbit Network.

Advantages of using Digital Probe in place of LVDT’s / Half Bridge Gauging Transducers. Traceability     Calibration certificates are  in mm or inches and not mV. Calibration equipment can be traced back to National Standards Laboratory. Gauge R&R. Digital signals are less affected by electrical interference and cross talk, thus making the readings more stable and improving repeatability and reproduceability. Mastering. Digital Probes can be mastered anywhere in their stroke instead (not just around the electrical null as with analogue probes), enabling accurate measurements to be taken even when a components position varies in free space . More than one datum can be entered within the stroke of a probe. Reduced cabling.  Networking capability eliminates bulky and complex cabling of conventional probes. Only one cable is required between the P.C. and batches of 31 probes. Long cable runs.  Measured value is correct to calibration certificate even when there are long cable runs between the gauge and PC or control system. Down time.  Damaged digital probes can be replaced in a fraction of the time taken by analogue probes. Simple modular network system construction so you can be up and running in minutes.