Windshield Manufacturing
Industry Automotive Applications Oil Film Measurement Type Level Description In order to maintain proper profile and thickness within a glass furnace the extrusion plate spacing must be maintained at a predetermined gap. Unfortunately, due to process changes and temperature swings this gap can fluctuate significantly in short periods of time. This variation causes the glass thickness to change (check out our glass thickness measurement devices to accurately measure thickness), producing uneven temperature gradients and creating potentially weak glass panels. To control this critical parameter the manufacturing process requires automated active feedback [...]
GRINDING PROCESS
A cylindrical grinding process finishes most wheel spindle surfaces. It is essential that this grinding process leave a surface finish that is smooth and free of defects with minimal runout. No grinder produces a perfect surface. Grinder wheel runout, improperly dressed wheels and fixture vibrations can cause chatter on the spindle surface finish. Chatter is a series of microscopic, repetitive imperfections, or waves, in the surface of the material being machined. The required production environment sensor must have small spatial resolution, high frequency response and large standoff distance for easy loading and unloading of parts. Additionally, the measurement accuracy had to be [...]
Brake Rotors Thickness Variation
Industry Automotive Applications Brake Rotors Thickness Variation Measurement Type Surface Description Driving cross country or cross town, we give little thought to the operation or complexity of our vehicle braking systems. They only cross our mind when we absolutely need them; we never stop to think about the extensive design and testing that makes them such a lifesaver. Take the brake rotor for example. Under normal operating conditions it’s subjected to extreme temperatures and forces, which can cause rotor distortion and potential failure. To make certain it can withstand [...]
Oil Film Thickness Measurement
Industry Automotive Applications Oil Film Measurement Type Level Description A top marine engine manufacturer commissioned MTI Instruments to design and manufacture a non-contact sensor to measure the microscopic oil film layer between the engine cylinder wall and the piston ring. Engine testing is normally performed through a range of low RPM’s to high RPM’s (400- 6000) with piston linear speeds approaching 500 inches/second and at various torques. A measuring system with high frequency response and small sensor size was essential to keep engine machining to a minimum while not altering [...]
Precision Control in Semiconductor Wafer Lapping
Application Overview Wafer lapping is a critical semiconductor thinning process that demands tight control to avoid over-removal of material, which can lead to costly yield loss. This application note details how MTI Instruments’ Accumeasure™ capacitive sensing technology enabled precise, real-time displacement and thickness measurement during lapping operations, ensuring consistent wafer quality. Challenge During lapping, wafers are thinned from the backside using a rotating abrasive surface. As the process proceeds, precise feedback is essential to monitor how much material is removed and to determine the wafer's final thickness. Traditional mechanical methods or visual inspections are not sensitive or fast enough [...]
Did You Know? GaGe Digitizers in Imaging & Ultrasound Applications
Introduction Innovations in medical and pharmaceutical imaging demand precision, speed, and reliability—and GaGe high-speed digitizers are rising to the challenge. From enhancing breast cancer detection and cardiovascular research to improving ultrasound clarity and gamma imaging portability, GaGe digitizers are powering breakthroughs across biomedical applications. This document highlights real-world case studies where GaGe technology has enabled advanced signal capture, leading to clearer diagnostics, deeper insights, and faster discoveries in healthcare and life sciences. Precision Flow: Advancing Breast Health with 3D Imaging: Detect low-velocity micro-vascular blood flow with clarity & diagnostic confidence. Challenge: Accurately mapping 3D blood flow in [...]
Brake Rotors
Industry Automotive Applications Brake Rotors Measurement Type Surface Description Under normal operating conditions brake rotors are subjected to extreme temperatures and forces, which can cause rotor distortion and potential failure. To make certain it can withstand these conditions; extensive laboratory testing is performed to optimize design for longevity, short stopping distance, and vibration free operation. Extensive on-vehicle testing is done under real life conditions to test prototype units and engineering designs. Test vehicles are driven for long periods of time while brake performance is monitored by a variety of sensors [...]
GLASS THICKNESS
Industry Consumer Electronics Applications Glass Thickness Measurement Type Thickness Description Did you know that glass thickness can be measured with a capacitance probe? You will need some equipment: Digital Accumeasure D200 ASP-2500-CTA Dielectric probe (The capacitance probe has a sensing area of 11.25 mm) Range extension = 3X, 10Hz filter Introduction: An industrial glass fabricator needed a way to determine the thickness of glass, before cutting it to shape and coating it. The glass sample was marked with indices to find the measuring points. The sample center point -5- thickness was checked [...]
HEIGHT GAP OF INKJET PRINTERS
Industry Consumer Electronics Applications Height Gap Of Inkjet Printers Measurement Type Positioning Description Introduction: Inkjet printers require a certain distance between the inkjet print head and the paper. If the distance is set incorrectly, the printed images get blurry. Current state of the art printers have the print head nozzles built right into the bottom of the ink reservoir (B) as shown below. When the ink cartridge is installed in the printer, the inkjet nozzles (made out of silicon) essentially become a grounded target through the connections shown at [...]
NUCLEAR HEAT EXCHANGER VIBRATION
Power plants, particularly nuclear power plants, require heat exchangers to cool down the primary working fluid for the power plant. Excessive vibration can lead to cracking and premature failure of the heat exchanger. Problem: A major power plant company approached MTI looking for a sensor that could measure vibration of a heat exchanger assembly that was immersed under water. Additionally, the water could reach 250 F and up to 220 PSI; the probe had to be sealed with a gland at a bulkhead feed through area. Solution: MTI developed a special fiber optic probe based on the MTI-2125H probe configuration. The [...]