Know all about Ultrasonic Products That Are Based on Electrostatic Technology. Sensors are a part of everyday life. You will find them everywhere. At home, in offices, in various cars, etc. They help to measure things as well as automate processes.
Sensors are present in small as well as big devices. They make life easier and make the world better. They have applications in a variety of industries like healthcare, lighting, automobile, aeronautic, cleaning, housing, etc.
For instance, automatic faucets allow people to wash their hands without touching the faucet. By simply bringing the hands close to the faucet, it senses this and water comes out. This helps to prevent infections and contracting diseases. It also helps to conserve water.
Another example is automatic doors that open when a person approaches. Also, light automatically coming on when a person enters a dark room is another perfect example. When there is no one in the room, the light goes off. This helps to save electricity.
These and many more examples are ways in which small devices with sensors help to make life enjoyable. You may read more about sensors here.
There are different types of sensors and one of these is the ultrasonic sensor. This will be our focus in this article.
What are Ultrasonic Sensors?
These are non-contact electronic devices that are used to measure the distance and velocity of objects. These sensors work based on sound waves and they convert these reflected sounds into electric signals. The frequency they operate in is greater than the human audible range.
By using the flight time of the sound wave, they are able to measure an object’s distance. The sound wave’s Doppler Shift property is also used to measure the object’s velocity.
Ultrasonic sensors typically have two main components. These are the transmitter and the receiver. The transmitter emits sound with the aid of piezoelectric crystals or electrostatic technology. The receiver however comes in contact with the sound after it has traveled to and from the object.
These types of sensors are mostly used as proximity sensors. They are great for self-parking technology applications as well as in anti-collision safety technology systems. They may also be used in robotic obstacle detection and manufacturing.
When compared to infrared systems, they are not quite susceptible to smoke and gas interference or other particles that are airborne. They may however be affected slightly by heat.
Ultrasonic sensors are used for ranging measurement or as level sensors. They help to detect, monitor, as well as regulate the level of liquids in containers. They have been quite useful in the medical industry as they are used to identify things like tumors. They are also used to view images of the internal organs and ensure that babies remain in perfect health in the womb.
Ultrasonic sensors are used as parts for making a wide variety of products. One of these is in electrostatic transducers.
What Are Electrostatic Transducers?
Ultrasonic transducers are based on either the electrostatic or piezoelectric principle. Piezoelectric transducers provide better outputs in pressure levels but have a narrower bandwidth compared to electrostatic ones.
Electrostatic transducers are used due to their wide bandwidth as well as the easy implementation of huge aperture transducers. They work comparably to capacitive microphones. They are suitable for measuring accurate distances. This is because signals with very short durations can be generated as well as received.
Typically, ultrasonic transducers are made up of flexible conductive membranes. These membranes rest on conductive grooved back plates. When biased electrical signals are applied between the back plates and the membranes, the membrane moves away or towards the back plate. Also, when ultrasonic signals are applied to the transducer, the membranes vibrate and generate ultrasonic waves in the air.
Electrostatic devices have fairly flat responses on wide frequency ranges. They are non-resonant and have low ring-out characteristics. This makes them more sensitive than the piezo devices by around 40 dB or more.
This increased sensitivity gives them long-range capabilities. For short-range applications, they can also have a lower-gain receiver circuit.
An electrostatic transducer combined with a proper electronic driver and receiver will cover up to 1 inch to more than 40 ft. This makes them great choices for measuring the level of deep tanks.
Electrostatic Transducers Applications
Ultrasonic transducers have uses in many industries and applications. They are used in industries such as in agriculture for machines used for spraying crops of varying heights. They are used for monitoring irrigation systems and to monitor both solid and liquid tank levels. In food and beverage, they are useful for measuring the level of liquid in bottles.
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In manufacturing, they can be used for maximizing efficiency in production, for automation, enhancing the manufacturing process, safety and for avoiding obstacles. They can be used in the control of stacking height, loop control, people detection and counting, and presence detection. Also, for box sorting, profiling and contouring as well as detecting irregular parts.
Furthermore, they are useful in inventory management, logistical control, accuracy and increasing the capability of a process. No matter the shape of an object, surface texture, or color, they can be used to measure its distance.
Also, they are used in tension control, roll diameter, vehicle detection in drive-through or drive-up industries and for landing assistance.
In heavy equipment, they can assist operators so that they avoid collisions with other objects. They are also used in construction machinery and garbage trucks.
There are many other uses of these devices. They are quite useful in almost all industries no matter the industry you operate in. They help to simplify as well as enhance processes thereby making life easier. Want to know more? You can visit SensComp to learn more and see electrostatic ultrasonic products that are available.
Conclusion
Sensors are important devices that are a part of our everyday life. They help to simplify processes and make life easy.
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There are various types of sensors available and ultrasonic sensors are one of the most common. They are used in different products which are ultimately used in a variety of industrial applications.
