Micro-Epsilon profileGAUGE C.ODC measures wires down to 30 µm on two axes

Micro-Epsilon has introduced the profileGAUGE C.ODC, an inline sensor system for biaxial diameter, contour and position measurement of ultra-fine wires and small round materials. The company says the non-contact system measures diameters from 30 µm and delivers "maximum measurement reliability" even at high process speeds.

The hardware is two optoCONTROL 2700 optical micrometers, pre-assembled, aligned and wired in an X arrangement so both axes are measured at once. No separate external controller is required. The system comes in two measuring ranges, 10 mm and 40 mm, with resolution down to 10 nm and repeatability of ≤0.03 µm. An exposure time of 8.5 µs is meant to cover vibrating or fast-moving objects.

Active tilt correction is the headline feature. The system detects when the measured object is tilted and adjusts each value to its actual orientation, at up to 5,000 measurements per second. It is available in the outer diameter, wire and contour measurement programs. For a quality engineer on a wire or tube line, that addresses a familiar problem: a skewed part reading as a diameter change. Because the principle is optical, transparent targets such as glass or plastic can also be measured. Micro-Epsilon lists precision tubes, glass fibres, medical devices and inline quality control of bar stock among the applications.

On the integration side, the system offers EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP and PROFINET fieldbus interfaces, along with TCP, UDP and FTP. Data can be recorded synchronously or asynchronously. In synchronous mode, both axes report at the same time, which allows centre axis position to be determined during motion. A common encoder input handles triggering and assigns each value. Statistical values from both axes can be processed through the control system or a higher-level evaluation system.

Integrated contamination detection checks for dirt on the glass panes and in the measuring field, and outputs one of three states: clean, restricted or dirty. A version with protective glass shields the optics in harsh environments, and a version with an air purge attachment keeps the beam path free of particles. The system also reports its contamination level on request, for example at scheduled maintenance intervals, which Micro-Epsilon says enables predictive maintenance.