Oil Film Thickness Measurement
Oil Film Thickness Measurement Marine Automotive Oil Film Thickness Challenge Oil Film Thickness Measurement for Marine Engine Applications A leading marine engine manufacturer approached MTI Instruments to design and develop a non-contact oil film thickness measurement sensor capable of accurately measuring the microscopic oil film layer between the engine cylinder wall and the piston ring. This critical measurement is vital for engine performance testing, typically conducted across a wide RPM range (400 to 6000 RPM) with piston linear speeds reaching up to 500 inches/second and various torque settings. For this application, [...]
Brake Rotors Thickness Variation
Brake Rotors Thickness Variation Automotive Brake Rotors Thickness Variation Surface Introduction: Understanding Brake Rotor Thickness and Its Variation Whether you're driving cross-country or across town, your vehicle’s brake system is constantly at work. Among its most critical components are the brake rotors, which endure extreme forces and temperatures. Over time, this stress can lead to rotor thickness variation (RTV) — a key contributor to braking issues like pedal pulsation, noise, and uneven wear. To ensure optimal safety and performance, manufacturers rigorously test for disc thickness variation, rotor warpage, and brake [...]
Door Gap
Automotive Door Gap Tolerances Description
Torque Converter
Torque Converter Automotive Torque Converter Surface Description Since minute defects in the torque converter casing wall thickness can result in unacceptable and dangerous torque converter expansion, a precision measurement system was needed to measure the impeller hub displacement and thus the torque converter axial displacement. An AC dynamometer would be required to spin the torque converter at a high rate of speed while a fast response hydraulic system is needed to pressurize the converter to pressures up to 150 psi. MTI’s MicroTrak laser sensor was selected because it offered a [...]
Tire Tread Inspection With 1D Laser Sensor
Tire Tread Inspection With 1D Laser Sensor Automotive Tire Tread Inspection With 1D Laser Sensor Depth Description Tire manufacturers wants to satisfy their customers, and protect themselves from liabilities, manufacturers are moving to 100% tire inspection for defects and abnormalities. Defects not only cause potential safety issues but they can also introduce unwanted vibration into the vehicle suspension system. Belts can be overlapped, or not cover the complete tire surface, causing weak or bubbled areas and imbalances. The tread depth can be too shallow, leading to decreased service life. An [...]
Thermal Expansion On Automobile Engine
Thermal Expansion On Automobile Engine Automotive Thermal Expansion On Automobile Engine Dimensions Description For years the sole purpose of the oil pan was to act as a reservoir for the engine lubricant. Some modern engines now utilize the pan as a structural component. It is machined from a rigid steel or aluminum casting and designed to support the lower portion of the crankshaft bearings and rear main seal. This development has introduced a potential problem area that must be analyzed. As engines go through heating and cooling cycles it is [...]
Robotic Weld Inspection
Automotive Robotic Weld Inspection Presence/Absence Description
Sheet Metal Monitoring
Sheet Metal Monitoring Automotive Sheet Metal Monitoring Thickness Description Introduction: When sheet metal is formed in a continuous process it needs monitoring during the actual feed prior to machining or forming to prevent defects and scrap.  One way to accomplish this is to use a laser sensor to measure the thickness. Problem: A major electrical equipment manufacturer needed a way to monitor the incoming material just prior to shearing and forming. The device needed to be robust, non-contact, reliable, accurate, and fast. The client would be using their data acquisition [...]
Wire Bonding
Wire Bonding Semiconductor Wire Bonding Level Description Introduction What is Wire Bonding? Wire bonding is a critical semiconductor manufacturing process that creates electrical connections between integrated circuits (ICs) and their packaging substrates. This wire bonding technique uses ultra-thin bond wires, typically made of gold or aluminum, to establish reliable electrical pathways in microelectronics applications. Understanding Wire Bond Fundamentals A typical wire bond consists of bonded wire connecting a die pad to a substrate pad on a PC board. The bond wire diameter varies between 18 and 50 microns, with 25 microns [...]
GaAs Substrate Thickness Measurement
Semiconductor Gaas Substrate Thickness Measurement Thickness Description Measuring Thickness of Wafers with Different Chemistries Introduction:  Silicon wafers are ordinarily highly conductive and easy to measure with standard capacitive displacement sensors (See MTI's Proforma 300i). Measuring the thickness of GaAs wafers that have high bulk resistivity (>10k Ohm/cm) is a little more difficult because the wafers act as non-conductive insulators in a capacitive sensor's measuring field. Fortunately, MTI has a solution to this problem. Solution:  It’s possible to measure the thickness and TTV of high resistivity semiconducting wafers (like GaAs) using non-contact [...]