Ultrasonic sensors


Elk Grove Village, Illinois – Transducers USA, a supplier of audible signal devices, has announced the introduction of its custom Ultrasonic Sensors.

These devices include a proximity sensor and an ultrasonic speaker, providing detection and an audible alert notifying the occurrence of a specified condition.

The non-contact sensing technology measures distance to an object by emitting sound waves and receiving the echo signal using a single ultrasonic element, unlike optical sensors which require both a transmitter and receiver. The ultrasonic speaker emits sound waves at high frequencies (25,000Hz to 40,000Hz), which are inaudible.

Transducer USA’s Ultrasonic Sensors can detect a wide range of materials: hard, soft, any color, flat, or curved. They can also reflect off transparent objects, such as glass or a liquid surface, and are stable for targets such as mesh trays or springs. Detection is not affected by dust or dirt; rugged Ultrasonic

Sensors are largely immune to environmental conditions indoors or out. The use of solid state technology eliminates the use of mechanical parts to break, extending the operating life of the device, and prevents dangerous sparking.

Unlike traditional proximity sensors, Ultrasonic Sensors operate over longer distances and can be programmed to establish a user-specified distance range.

A sample list of applications includes:

  • Forklifts, pallets – to determine if a pallet is on the fork and how far it’s inserted under the pallet
  • Collision detection – avoids serious accidents from collision with other industrial or construction equipment, such as aerial work platforms
  • Counting – detection and counting of products on production lines and conveyors; optimizes entry and exit of products in the workflow
  • Production downtime – detection of adverse production conditions and costly downtime
  • People detection – identifies and counts humans entering the distance band
  • Automation equipment – on/off switching, relay connections, PLC inputs and multi-sensor detection networks
  • Robotic sensing – distances, collision avoidance, etc.