Pressure Sensors / Detectors / Transducers
Tactile Sensors integrate into data acquisition systems.
Press Release Summary:
User-configurable, Industrial Tactile Sensors quantify high pressure measurements in industrial and elevated temperature environments. TactArray technology allows user to configure mats up to 24 x 100 in. with 1-16,000 0.08 in. elements on as little as 0.3 in. centers. Capacitive-based sensors are Kapton® encapsulated, enabling stable operation across temperature range of -100 to 400°F. Units offer full-scale ranges of 0-500 and 0-20 psi.
Original Press Release:
New Ultra Thin Industrial Tactile Sensor Squeezes Into Tight Spots
Los Angeles, CA (March 17, 2004) - Pressure Profile Systems, Inc. (PPS) today introduced the Industrial Tactile Sensor, (ITS) a user configurable sensor designed to quantify high pressure measurements in industrial and elevated temperature environments. Depending on the application, the new tactile sensor is arranged as an individual sensor or integrated as an array across a rigid web/grid style plane to measure a detailed pressure distribution. Designed to be integrated into a customer's data acquisition system or as a complete data collection hardware/software system, the ITS is ideal for such diverse pressure measurements as tire footprints, caster pressures, assembly torque setups, polishing head pressures, pinch roller calibrations, hot rollers, water cooled molds and others that demand precision.
The ITS is based on the next generation of PPS-proprietary TactArray technology. This scalable technology allows the user to configure mats up to 24" x 100" with 1 to 16,000 0.08" (2 mm) elements on as little as 0.3" (8 mm) centers. This mat is only 0.012 inches (0.3 mm) thick yet can measure up to 500 psi (pounds per square inch). The capacitive-based sensors are Kapton® encapsulated, enabling accurate, stable, and reliable operation across a wide temperature range from -100 to 400°F (-40 to 200°C) making the sensors ideal for high-pressure applications where heat can be intense. The scalability of the drive electronics also allows for fast data sampling with data acquisition speeds up to 200 kHz.
In military and aerospace applications, these sensors can be placed on surfaces undergoing testing to more accurately quantify real life structural stresses. In industrial applications, the ITS can be placed between two surfaces to measure the applied forces across a surface in intensive pressure applications - presses, printing rollers, assembly set-up techniques, etc. - to establish torque requirements and patterns. And in the robotics world, the ITS is used to enhance gripping and applied forces of pressure used to pick an object up for example and relay the information back in real time.
The ITS sensor is adaptable to many OEM and data acquisition applications. Simply adding additional sensors by plugging in more drive electronics and attaching additional sensor mats can increase the area being tested. Depending on the system, data is output via USB 1.1 or via a DC analog voltage signal. Combined with PPS's data analysis software package or the user's own software ITS becomes the heart of an industrial or test monitoring system.
System specifications include full-scale ranges of 0-500 and 0-20 PSI, 300:1 dynamic range and 0.15% static noise. In addition, pressure sensitivity is user-selectable. Complete specifications can be found at www.pressureprofile.com/its.
Price and Availability
Prices start at $1,500 for a single sensor or $15,000 for a sensor array. Price includes the sensor, mat, drive electronics, and a limited one-year warranty. Delivery is 6 to 8 weeks.
About Pressure Profile Systems
Pressure Profile Systems, Inc. (PPS) was formed in 1996 to design, develop, and manufacture high performance multi-element pressure and tactile sensing systems. PPS tactile sensing technology was originally developed at Harvard University and subsequently enhanced into PPS's proprietary TactArray technology through funding from the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, Army Research Laboratory, and National Institutes of Health.
For more information on the ITS, Pressure Profile Systems, or its other products, contact PPS at 310.641.8100; via e-mail at info@pressureprofile.com or visit the company web site at www.pressureprofile.com.
