Advertorials

Evatron offers a wide range of functional, weatherproof, wall mounted IP rated junction boxes and cabinet cases with doors, but when the case is for internal use, a more stylish appearance may be important.

For functionality and style, our modem style cases tick all the boxes. Available in a range of different styles, sizes and configurations, these wall mounted cases have 2 latched front panels each side of a removable, recessed central panel secured with screws.

Alternative styles screw together from the front, with a recessed area and corner caps designed to match the construction of the case. If your installation incorporates sensor cases, we can offer small, discreet solid top and vented cases in a range of sizes.

Evatron specialises in providing a wide range of plastic and metal enclosures, many of which are unique to Evatron. We supply the major UK distributors as well as direct to OEM’s. We regularly add new suppliers and products to our online shop, to ensure our customers have easy online access to the maximum number of enclosure products. There is no minimum order quantity and delivery is usually next day for orders placed before 3 pm. 

The Evatron sales team will search for the best solution to your enclosure requirements and at the lowest cost. If the type and dimensional size of the enclosure you require is not immediately available on our website, our experienced sales staff have well-established contacts with a wealth of suppliers to find the case you need to meet your specifications.

The products are available in a range of materials including ABS, polycarbonate, GRP, aluminium and steel. In addition, we offer a quality, low cost, customisation, with machining, silk screen printing, labels and EMC shielding as part of the additional service we can offer our customers.

Most enclosures will need holes and/or apertures cut to allow access to buttons/switches and many of our customers recognise the benefit in ?having this machining work carried out, at source, by Evatron. Small quantities are not a problem and our experienced team ensure the work is accurate in accordance with the customers’ drawings.  

In the case of printing, any shape or size can be printed to develop a unique and professional result. Registration of colours on awkward shapes is not a problem. Alternatively, we can provide labels using a range of materials, technologies and techniques. The majority of colour systems or sample swatches can be matched. Aluminium cases and panels are available in silver or black anodised and can be punched and laser etched with company logo, etc to achieve an extremely professional finish.

Evatron Plastic Enclosures Ltd. www.evatron.com

Tel: 01908 325100  Email: sales@evatron.com

Over the past year, to meet the needs of its customers, BSRIA Instrument Solutions has extensively upgraded its infrared (IR) temperature calibration laboratory – with the aim of offering thermal imaging camera users a true ‘one-stop-shop’. With high end high sensitivity instruments as well as simple point and shoot cameras available to purchase and rent from less than £100 per week, these new calibration facilities ensures measurement traceability of these instruments back to national standards wherever the need arises. 

BSRIA Instrument Solutions general manager, Alan Gilbert, said: “Thermal imaging or IR cameras are used in lots of applications such as finding where there is missing insulation in the fabric of buildings to increase their efficiency but they are also used in more critical environments such as the detection of faults in overheating mechanical plant to the surveying of tyre temperatures on Formula 1 cars to establish if they are operating at the correct parameters, and the need for an absolute measurement of temperature is becoming more and more critical. The new calibration benches within the Instrument Solutions laboratory are ranged from -10 to +500°C and are perfect for critical application markets which require quick turnaround times with a high degree of measurement accuracy.”

Instrument Solutions offers as standard a five day turnaround as well as a while you wait service on most calibration parameters including: pressure, humidity, air and liquid flow, with UKAS (ISO 17025) accredited work available on the majority of products sold into industry throughout the UK.

For more information on the calibration options available from BSRIA Instrument Solutions, please contact our team of expert engineers on 01344 459314 or email info@bis.fm, alternatively you may wish to visit us online at www.bis.fm

High-precision weigh modules for automated quality control detect deviations of one part in a million in a fraction of a second. 

The technology successfully verifies completeness and density of parts, modules and kits despite hidden cavities, poor light conditions and reflective or transparent material. A high-precision weigh module is easy to install and doesn’t require much engineering effort.
Often, weigh modules provide a more economical and efficient solution than tactile or optical methods for quality control.

• Ball bearings, Gears, Linear bushings,Linear shafts
• Casted or machined metal parts, molded plastic parts, Sintered parts
• Installation kits, Repair kits, Mounting kits, Tool sets, Toy kits, Shipping boxes
• Batteries, Electro motors, Household machines, General electromechanical modules

uk.mt.com

Chell Instruments have particular expertise in the manufacture of pressure, vacuum and gas flow measurement & control solutions. Their systems are designed by engineers for use by engineers and built at their facility in Norfolk, where they have their own metal fabrication and electronics workshops, giving them total control over quality and performance.

The products manufactured by Chell Instruments can range from a simple control / display system for a transducer, right through to a full custom built, turn-key installation. Particular attention is paid to the reliability of any system they design & build. For example, Electricity Generators in the UK often experience a problem with air getting into the turbine, reducing efficiency. Chell Instruments developed a sensor system to monitor this condition and many of these devices have now been in service for nearly 30 years.

In addition to their own manufactured products, Chell Instruments are distributors for some of the world’s leading sensor manufacturers and on their stand this year you will find products from:-

• TE Connectivity – PSI pressure scanners and data acquisition systems.
• Fluke – molbloc & molbox flow calibration systems, pressure calibrators & primary pressure balances.
• Sensirion – New mass flow sensors for gas and liquids, featuring very fast response times and high accuracy.
• Teledyne Hastings – Mass flow meters, controllers and vacuum gauges.
• Inficon – Vacuum sensors to measure absolute pressures from atmosphere down to ultra high vacuum.
• SAES Pure Gas – Gas purifiers to remove impurities from your process gas. SAES have recently introduced a new palladium hydrogen diffuser. 

Chell Instruments also have their own in-house UKAS accredited (BS 17025:2005) calibration laboratory that has some of the lowest uncertainties in the country outside the National Standards, so that sensors purchased from them will have the highest measurement integrity. They can even offer an on-site instrument calibration service, in order to keep your plant downtime to an absolute minimum.

Chell Instruments sell into a wide variety of applications and their systems and instrumentation is widely used in the pharmaceutical, aerospace, gas turbine, nuclear power, automotive and process control industries.

www.chell.co.uk

Detection of Gas Concentrations by Means of Infrared Spectroscopy

Changes in the energy industry have generated a great need for affordable, high-resolution sensors for the measurement of the energy content of natural gas and other fuel gases. At the same time, the demand for more efficient appliances for routine monitoring and leakage detection has also increased.

In order to quickly and accurately measure this, a new infrared spectrometric sensor was developed as part of the joint “SIRKO” project, which has significantly improved properties when compared to previous methods. Involved in this development was Dresden-based InfraTec.

The core of the innovation is a tunable micromachined Fabry-Pérot filter (µFPF). By using a higher order of interference, the spectral resolution could be improved from 60 nm to about 25 nm in the wavelength range of (3.1 … 3.7) µm. The dynamics of the filter was significantly improved by optimising the electro-mechanical design and enables scan frequencies of up to 10 Hz. As an additional option the simultaneous measurement of carbon dioxide in the wavelength range to 4.3 µm will be possible in the future by using the dual-band sensor.

Infrared spectroscopy is a physical sensing principle to determine gas concentrations accurately, selective and long-term stability. In particular, the accurate and rapid analysis of gas mixtures, such as hydrocarbon gas mixtures or the composition of natural gas, can be carried out using the detectors developed in the project with integrated µFPF.

This technology can be used to analyse gas compositions such as hydrocarbon mixtures or the composition of natural gas. These detectors can not only be used in large power plants, where even small improvements in the efficiency can bring enormous benefits, but also in cogeneration, natural gas fuel cells and small firing systems.

The name SIRKO stands for “Fast infrared spectrometer for the analysis of hydrocarbons”. The joint project was part of an initiative promoted by the innitiative “KMU-innovativ: Optische Technologien” by BMBF.

Started in early March, 2012, the SIRKO project was successfully completed in February 2015.

Fair: Sensors & Instrumentation 2015

City: Birmingham, UK

Date: 30.09. – 01.10.2015

Booth: B3

E-mail: sensor@InfraTec.de

Internet: www.InfraTec.de

Kemo Ltd has proved itself the master of flexibility with the recent growth in the sales of the DIN rail filter carrier card which features in a range of their products. A recent success with a major energy supplier has seen over 120 cards supplied in 4 systems, this represented a significant step forward for the production facility supported by the succes of the DR range of DIN rail mounted filters.

The DIN rail carrier card offers a range of filter options; including factory set fixed frequency from 1Hz to more than 500kHz and variable frequency set by DIP switches from 0.2Hz to 127.5kHz. Both types can be supplied with a range of filter responses including low-pass, high pass and notch filter characterstics and also feature configurable input gain and IEPE sensor supply.

sales@kemo.com

www.kemo.com

This Paper discusses some of the application areas for Smart CO2 sensing and the leading semiconductor-based technology, developed by Gas Sensing Solutions (GSS) which is already being employed in these applications and more….

SmartIR CO2 sensing – helping to feed the world

Horticulture is key market area which can benefit from CO2 management. The productivity of industrial growing enclosures can be significantly enhanced by monitoring and controlling the concentration of CO2. Multiple crop cycles can be achieved by optimal temperature, light and CO2 control.

Using this technique, overall plant growth productivity can be improved up to 40%. Produce transportation is another area where CO2 sensing can significantly reduce wastage and help to ensure the product reaches its destination in peak condition. A myriad of foods are now exported and imported globally and in many cases have to travel thousands of miles in containers. The natural ripening process of these foods, such as bananas, can be accelerated or delayed by monitoring and adjusting the level of CO2 accordingly.

Other associated food processing applications include individual, quick freezing of small food items with cryogenic CO2 gas to lock in the moisture, shape and freshness. Carbon dioxide is widely used in modified-atmosphere packaging to prolong the shelf life of food where a decrease in its concentration can signify leakage in a package. Freshness and safety of modified atmosphere food packages can be determined by detection of CO2 concentrations.

SmartIR CO2 sensing – Breath Analysis for Health

Patient monitoring is another key application for CO2 sensing. Capnography involves monitoring the concentration or partial pressure of CO2 in the respiratory gases.

Moreover, the GSS technology provides a means of inherent high rate sampling, enabling temporal characteristic of exhaled CO2 to be measured in real time, providing a diagnostic/ management tool for a wide variety of chronic respiratory conditions.                                              

The GSS technology is also being progressed for respiratory monitoring in sports exercise and recreational sports applications. Similarly, this SmartIR technology can be applied to a wide variety of health related applications which include, for example, sports fitness, baby monitoring and sleeping disorder management

SmartIR CO2 sensing – reducing our carbon footprint

Commercial  buildings  are  responsible  for  at  least  40%  of  the  world’s  total  energy consumption  yet it is estimated that  96% of existing building stock currently do not have effective building energy management systems in place. The use of Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV) with CO2 sensing provides a route to achieving significant global energy savings.

Current  deployment  and  powering  of  carbon  dioxide  sensors  into  buildings for  Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)  and DCV  is  normally  through  wired  connection  to  the building’s electrical supply. However, the market demand for autonomous, wireless CO2 sensors is accelerating due to the ease of installation and overall lower cost of maintenance.

SmartIR CO2 sensing – the technology behind the sensor

So far we have discussed some of the ever increasing applications for SmartIR CO2 sensing. Now let’s turn our attention to the leadership technology developed by GSS to enable these hugely successful sensors.

GSS sensors are based on the NDIR (non-dispersive infrared) optical method of detecting gases.

The GSS SmartIR low power consumption NDIR CO2  gas sensors are based on mid-infrared, solid state, light emitting  diode  (LED)  and photodiode  (PD) technology.   LED’s  offer the  advantage  of  high  source emittance,  fast  modulation  rates, longevity and  room  temperature  operation  with  no  burn-in  and  are  more  cost effective than laser diodes for deployment in practical gas sensors. Specific performance benefits include low power consumption at continuous monitoring of  <3.5mW and rapid stabilisation time of <2s. The combination of low power and fast stabilisation allows measurements to be made using as little as 10mJ per measurement.

SmartIR CO2 sensing – GSS Engineering Solutions

GSS has developed a range of CO2 sensors to meet the wide range of conditions our customers need to measure. The range includes sensors optimised for high speed, or for low power, for high concentrations, and for in line measurement. GSS can recommend the best sensor for particular applications, and provide advice on how best to integrate these sensors into user products or processes.

When something special is required, GSS has significant experience in designing bespoke carbon dioxide measurement solutions for clients. We recognise that our clients are experts in their field, but may have less experience in sensor systems design and integration. GSS can design custom sensors, provide applications support and expertise, or create and manufacturing an entire user application.

Our team of engineers have developed unique solutions for our clients and can offer support in software, firmware, optical design, electronic design and mechanical design

GSS SmartIR CO2 Sensing – About Us

Gas Sensing Solutions,

In 2010, GSS Launched COZIR, the World’s Lowest Power Consumption NDIR CO2 Sensor and in 2012 introduced SprintIR, the World’s Fastest Response NDIR CO2 Sensor.

GSS received a John Logie Baird Award in recognition of outstanding achievement in the ‘Impact Through Innovation’ category and won the Shell Springboard Award for Scotland, Northern Ireland & Northern England recognizing innovation in tackling climate change. In 2014, GSS won the Institute of Physics Innovation award for their low power CO2 sensor technology.

www.gassensing.co.uk

This innovative, nine-strong company was founded 13 years ago by Anthony Cross, who has been immersed in the business of sensors for no less than 42 years. While subsequently engaged in the manufacture, development and selling of sensors and the running of related companies he has gained experience of a large number of industries, and StrainSense itself now operates within the Rail, Military, Aerospace, Marine, Power, Sub-sea and General Industry sectors, as well as the Motorsport and mainstream Automotive arenas.

Much of the company’s work is confidential, but suffice to say that it supplies product and expertise to many of the major UK-based motor manufacturers and leading automotive test bodies and consultants. It also lists a good proportion of the F1 grid among its customers and is equally active in MotoGP and both World and British Superbike formulae. It is concerned with a number of American motor racing series and exports product to France, Italy, Germany, and Japan too.

The ISO9001 & ISO14001 company focuses much of its attention on the test and measurement marketplace, and typical customers are those concerned with component or assembly testing within the R&D departments of everything from major manufacturers to start-ups. StrainSense also services the needs of a number of universities, many of whom are engaged in projects with industrial partners

Sensor types supplied include vibration, acceleration, pressure, force, torque, position, tilt, strain and navigation.  Complimentary signal conditioning and data acquisition equipment is also available to complete the measurement system using the latest software developments including open source integration.

On the face of it, the sensor market is quite a crowded one, but StrainSense attributes its on-going success to:

• identifying a number of niche markets
• creating a range of unique products
• its extensive level of applications knowledge and expertise

“Crash testing is a particular area of growth at present, over which we are involved with a range of motor manufacturers and major automotive test facilities, as well as the aviation industry. We have the required standards to sell into this market and offer two core products that are especially applicable. Each supplier tends to have its own area of expertise – for example, where there are a number supplying crash test dummies, we can provide sensors for those dummies that measure force, vibration and angle. We are also involved in the testing of crumple zones, pedestrian crash protection and the mounting, load and tension of seat belts.”

A typical example of how StrainSense supports one major UK-based  motor manufacturer is by working with both its ‘road load data’ and ‘structural test’ departments in the development  and refinement of individual components and assemblies. It helps the former instrument-up a vehicle with accelerometers on the wheels, linear position sensors on the suspension, sensors on each of the engine and gearbox mounts, torque sensors on the driveshaft, pressure sensors on the brakes etc. This enables accurate measurement of the dynamic forces imposed on the car in motion – eg the displacement of the suspension, how much of the loads are absorbed by the suspension and how much are transferred to the shell etc. This allows the building of a complete profile of the vehicle driving in a real world scenario, which can then be re-created by the ‘structural test’ department as required – say, in the testing and development of engine mounts. Once rigged-up to receive the same loads as on the road, a mount can then be treated to an accelerated programme over maybe a 12 month period, the like of which would be impossible to achieve on the road. StrainSense provides all the systems and expertise required for such exercises.

New products are continually under development too and, having enjoyed considerable success with its linear position sensors in motorsport and other arenas, StrainSense is now in the process of launching a range of very small, high temperature rotary sensors for the same markets.

New additions to the products supplied include a full range of data acquisition systems and strain gauges.  The Data acquisition systems cover the test laboratory applications as described above, but also new developments include systems to measure electrical power, used in applications for the national grid and e-vehicle developments.  Further systems have been developed for rail, aerospace and can now integrate with National Instruments and ‘open source’ software.

See www.strainsense.co.uk for further information on StrainSense and its products.

Established for over 20 years, Edinburgh Sensors uses proven technology to deliver fast, accurate, and reliable gas sensors for CO, CO₂, CH₄, N₂O & R125 measurements. The application of our continued research and development has contributed to several major advances in the world of infrared gas sensing and delivered a comprehensive portfolio of products for the detection of CO, CO₂, CH₄ gases and various refrigerants.

For system integrators our OEM Gas Sensors set the standards for gas detection in a wide variety of applications from controlled environments – horticulture, landfill,  anaerobic digestion and biogas through to Industrial Safety/Emissions Monitoring, TOC, MAP, Incubation and SF6 leak detection.

With tens of thousands of our monitors supporting critical processes in industries throughout the world we have an enviable reputation for reliability, accuracy, long-term stability with low maintenance requirements. Our Guardian range of Gas Monitors can be used in a wide range of applications such as HVAC and Indoor Air Quality Monitoring and additional environmental control applications.

The advantage you have is that our solutions can be customised, wherever possible, to meet your requirements.

We recognise just how important it is to choose the right gas sensing solution. Edinburgh Sensors prides itself on its customer centered approach and we walk together with our customers every step of the way. From initial enquiry through the moment you buy your sensor to the end of its life we will provide you with product support and will help you to integrate our products into your products wherever possible.

OEM Gas Sensors

The Gascard^® NG infrared gas sensor is designed for ease of integration with a wide range of gas detection systems that require high quality, accurate and reliable measurement of CO, CO₂, CH₄ gas concentrations. The Gascard NG has built-in features for multi-gas and multi-sensor operation depending on the application.

The IRgaskiT^® infrared gas sensor measures CO₂, CH₄  gas concentrations. The electronics module supports a range of available sensors connected via extendable cables, providing the flexibility required of an OEM instrument.

These are just some of our products. To find out more visit: OEM Sensors.

Gas Monitors

The Guardian^® NG range infrared gas monitors offer near-analyser quality, continuous sampling, measurement and display of target gas concentrations. The ‘Guardian NG’ range provides high accuracy detection and measurement of either CO₂ or CH₄ gases, where detection level ranges of between 0 – 3000ppm and 0 – 100% by volume are required.

These wall-mounted monitors can detect gases from sampling points up to thirty metres away using the integral sampling system. Optimum performance can be ensured through regular calibration checks, which allow you to check the accuracy and adjust the calibration if required. Furthermore, reliability is enhanced by the elimination of all moving parts from the sensor head, with the added bonus that fewer parts lead to lower costs. Our Guardian instruments are easy to install, stand-alone products that require minimum set up and required maintenance taking just minutes annually.

For more information about our products you can contact us

T: +44 (0) 1506 425 300

E: sales@edinst.com

W: www.edinburghsensors.com

Or follow us on Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook

Address: 2 Bain Square, Kirkton Campus, Livingston, EH54 7DQ

If you are under serious time pressure and need an enclosure that suits your requirements now, or you are at the start of what will be a protracted design project there is a common enclosure solution.

Smartboxx offer an enclosure to suit your requirements, manufactured without tooling. We use methods that allow us to provide the benefits of a plastic enclosure with the flexibility of a fabricated solution.

We can take your CAD, sketch or collection of parts and turn it into a viable, production ready prototype in days if necessary.

Step by step it looks like this :-

1. Concept

You specify your requirements, this is your enclosure not an ‘off the shelf’ box. At this stage we are looking to establish what format of enclosure is going to suit your requirements best

2.Design

We can provide CAD at this stage giving you the opportunity to work your way through assembly requirements as well as assessing your end product’s suitability.

3.Prototype

There’s no tooling cost, so this part of the process allows us both to iron out cost savings, additional features and branding options.

At the end of this stage you have a ‘production ready’ sample or pre-production batch. You don’t have to switch technologies to be ready for batch manufacture or wait for tooling to be produced.

4.Manufacture

We make your enclosures. Here in Norfolk.

Made to schedule, packaged and sent to you or your subcontract manufacturers.

At any stage in this process you can alter the design to allow for differing market requirements, customer preference and component redundancy, after all, it is your enclosure.

Our Reference designs can make this process even quicker by offering a starting point. They are a range of enclosure formats that we have used extensively for a wide range of applications. The common theme is, they are flexible and cost effective. 

Whilst we can incorporate all of the design features offered by customising an off the shelf moulded box they have a distinct advantage. If you want your sensor housing or development board enclosure 3mm wider and 14mm longer with a din rail mounting clip all you have to do is talk to one of our design engineers.

Machining label recesses, component mounting points and engraving a logo are all part of our primary manufacturing process, reducing costs and completing your product .

The next few weeks will see the launch of instrumentboxx taking the Reference design concept forward. As a design engineer or manufacturer you will be able to take basic Instrumentation case concepts and use them to create a bespoke desk top enclosure.

Our aim is to make the process simple, allowing you to build an enclosure around your components without having to compromise during the design process. You don’t have to fit into a stock box.

smartboxx will be exhibiting at Sensors and Instrumentation, stand E15

smartboxx

4-10 Kelvin Place, Stephenson Way, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 3RR, UK

T: 01842 766557

E: info@smartboxx.co.uk

W: www.smartboxx.co.uk