Up until now, single point displacement sensors could only measure the distance of a single laser point to the target object’s surface. However, with Profile Mode added to the Gocator 1300 Series, users can now generate and inspect profiles of scanned parts using a Gocator “smart” displacement sensor.

The result? A single point you can use like a line profile sensor––and an entirely new class of product called a single point profiler only offered by LMI.

How it Works

In Gocator 1300 sensors, Profile Mode builds 3D part profiles by intelligently combining high speed range data into a profile of the scanned part, using built-in part detection logic that supports a variety of acquisition methods, such as fixed length of movement, digital input control status, and height thresholding.

Types of Profile Generation

Gocator uses different methods to generate a profile, depending on the needs of the application.

Continuous: The sensor continuously generates profiles of parts that are detected under the sensor. Parts are separated by height and gap thresholding. Continuous Profile Generation is used when the transport system continuously feeds material or parts under the sensor. These materials have a distinguishable start and stop edge. Example applications include inspection of web materials such as rubber; and wane detection, the process of identifying defects in boards characterized by bark or insufficient wood at a corner or along an edge.

Fixed Length: The sensor generates profiles of a fixed length (in mm) using the value in the Length setting. Like Continuous Profile Generation mode, Fixed Length mode is used when material or parts continuously pass under the sensor. Unlike Continuous mode, these parts/materials do not have a distinguishable start and stop edge. Examples include measuring height characteristics of rubber extrusions or road roughness calculations.

Variable Length: The sensor generates profiles of variable length up to a maximum defined length. Variable Length Profile Generation is typically used in robot controlled scanning applications, for example, measuring the lengths of different parts on an engine block.

Rotational: The sensor reorders ranges within a profile to be aligned with an encoder’s index pulse, so that the system knows when a full rotation has completed. Rotational Profile Generation is used in applications where profile measurements of a circular object in motion need to be taken, such as tire tread and sidewall inspection, and label positioning on bottles.

Note: Optimal Sensor Orientation

With Single Point Profile Sensors it is considered a rule of thumb to orient the sensor with the triangulation base perpendicular to the direction of travel (i.e., simply rotate the sensor 90 degrees in each of the above illustrations).  This type of arrangement is preferable with single point profilers because the perpendicular arrangement avoids occlusion in the measurement plane on moving targets.

Built-In Profile Measurement Tools

Once the profile is generated users can then apply any of Gocator’s built-in profile tools for dimensioning and inspecting complex shapes. Gocator’s profile tools detect and compare feature points or fit lines or circles found within laser profile data.

Measurement values are compared against minimum and maximum thresholds to yield accurate control decisions. Gocator’s profile measurement tools include Panel (Gap & Flush), Strip, Circle, Groove, and more.

User Benefits

The result is greatly increased control over the inspection process and a significant reduction in system complexity and setup cost––achieved by allowing users to identify issues through visual inspection of profiles in real-time.

Furthermore, users no longer have to deal with processing high speed data. Since typical displacement sensors require heavy network bandwidth and a PC or external controller to operate, generating profiles on a single point reduces processing latency and network bandwidth, and can even eliminate the need for an external PC. This is a unique capability of the Gocator single point displacement sensor.

Learn learn more about Gocator Single Point Profile Sensors here.