What Advantages do Laser Tech’s Lidar Sensors Offer?

Question: What Advantages do Laser Tech Sensors Offer?

Our lidar sensors offer low maintenance non-contact benefits with high accuracies, eliminate any need for reflectors, expand your workable ranges, use narrow beams, and include flexible configuration options. 

Keep reading for more information on each of these 6 unique advantages.

Laser sensors bring advantages to several different fields

1) Non-Contact/Low maintenance

By nature, our non-contact lidar sensors create low maintenance benefits.

This advantage is a direct result of our sensors functioning as non-contact continuous measurement devices.

Contact-sensor alternatives tend to require constant exposure to various materials and often install at the bottom of large tanks. Meanwhile, non-contact sensors tend to be installed in easy-to-access areas that avoid material exposure.

Longer device lifespans

Avoiding contact with materials means that our sensors perform longer.

1. Less corrosion
   

   A Laser Tech non-contact laser sensor installed at an easy-to-reach location

2. Less build ups/clogs

Easier to keep clean

Keeping a clean sensor is a best practice made easier by non-contact performance.

1. Less frequent cleaning required
2. Typically limited to removing some dust
3. Can often be completed via compressed air cans

Easier to access

Contrary to contact sensors, our sensors are commonly located near or on a tank’s lid or hatch.

Non-contact lidar sensors can be installed in easier-to-access locations that complement worker safety

1. Faster access for repairs and cleaning
2. Easy to remove and reinstall when needed

Safer to access

Thanks to the easier access that our sensors tend to create, some safety hazards can be eliminated.

1. Avoid workers coming into contact with materials
2. Remove risk of injury from climbing into tanks, entering production machinery, etc. 

2) High Accuracy

Integrators can expect high accuracy from all Laser Tech sensors.

All of our non-contact continuous measurement laser sensors offer high accuracy. Reliable accuracies are offered at varying intensities across our different types of sensors.

Reminder: S200 series is ideal for solids while the S300 series is ideal for liquids.

• S200 Series typical Accuracy: 0.1 ft (4 cm) in short-range mode, 0.3 ft (8 cm) in medium-range mode, .5 ft (15 cm) in long-range mode
• S300 Series typical Accuracy: +/- 10 mm (.39 in)

3) No need for reflectors

Targets typically generate enough reflectiveness to function without any additional reflector installation required.

A Laser Tech sensor’s use of infrared energy allows most targets to function as natural reflectors

The intensity, or reflectance, of a target will be determined by its color, opacity, distance from the sensor, reflection angle, size, and environmental situation. There are some key features that can give you confidence in a target’s natural reflectance.

Maximized reflectance is ideal but not always necessary. A discussion with one of Laser Tech’s experts will be the best way to determine if your application’s target will effectively perform as a reflective target.

Here are a few concepts to keep in mind when determining you target’s potential for natural reflectance:

1. Targets with high opacity reflect infrared energy best
2. Targets with smooth surfaces are highly reflective
3. Direct/straight angles between the sensor and target reflect energy in the widest and most receivable fashion
4. Larger targets reflect more energy than smaller targets
5. Clear environments, with minimal dust, fog, or mist, means fewer precipitates to potentially interrupt energy beams

In any case, all of our sensors have multiple programmable settings that programmers can tweak to better optimize performance.

4) Long Range Ability

Laser Tech’s lidar sensors offer considerable accuracy over long ranges

Laser Tech sensors for solids perform accurately within considerably wide ranges.

This aspect might not be relevant for integrators involved in plant process automation. However, those interested in applications involving larger measurement/detection zones can find comfort in the long-range abilities of our sensors.

Longer ranges than alternatives make LTI sensors for solids advantageous for integration into aerial vehicle systems, extensive perimeter networks, and other applications expanding over large areas.

Reflective targets offer the highest max ranges for LTI laser sensors. 

• S200 Series maximum range to reflective targets: 9,514 ft (2900 m) in low-accuracy mode, 4,921 ft (1500 m) in medium-accuracy mode

Non-reflective targets are still effective at significant ranges.

• S200 Series maximum range to non-reflective targets: 5,249 ft (1600 m) in low-accuracy mode, 2,953 ft (900 m) in medium-accuracy mode

5) Lidar Sensors have Narrow Beams

The narrow beams created by our lidar sensors have a few benefits to consider.

Laser Tech’s lidar sensors can function in narrow environments that cause issues for the naturally wide beams of radar alternatives

Our time-of-flight laser sensors use lidar. Some alternatives use radar, which casts a relatively wide and diffused energy beam.

Integrators running into issues that eliminate wide-breamed radar sensor options from their application will want to look into lidar alternatives.

Some applications may require a more focused beam to overcome structural obstacles.

1. Lidar beams grant the ability to shoot past/around physical obstructions
2. Narrow beams allow for more precise target assignment
3. Confined spaces are far more likely to avoid issues

The beam divergence tendencies of our different sensors are acute.

• S200 series divergence: 3 mrad (equal to 1 ft beam diameter @ 328 ft or 30 cm @ 100m)
• S300 series divergence: 3 mrad (equal to 15 cm beam diameter @ 50 m or .5 ft @ 164 ft), 44 mrad using Diffusing Lens (equal to 220 cm beam diameter @ 50 m or 7.33 ft @ 164 ft)

6) Configuration Flexibility

Our engineers design lidar sensors to offer customizable and versatile programming.

LTI Laser sensors provide flexibility in configuring for all sorts of applications.

Different targeting modes available for both single and multiple targets

Our S200 series & S300 series sensors have their own targeting mode options.

Laser Tech’s lidar sensors can be configured to your application’s needs

• S200 series: First, strongest, last, first-second-third, last-second to last, first-strongest-last, first-second-third-strongest-last
• S300 series: First, strongest, last

Industry-standard data outputs

Our S200 series & S300 series sensors have standardized input/output specifications.

• S200 series input/output specifications: S-200 = TRIG, SDI-12, RS232 without alignment laser, S-210 = TRIG, SDI-12, RS232 with alignment laser, S-230 = 4-20mA, RS232 with alignment laser
• S300 series input/output specifications: S-300 = TRIG, SDI-12, RS232 without alignment laser, S-310 = TRIG, SDI-12, RS232 with alignment laser, S-330 = 4-20mA, RS232 with alignment laser

Want more info on our Industrial Lidar Sensors?

Navigate through the entire LTI Laser Sensors Q & A series:

1. Introduction to Laser Tech’s Non-Contact Sensors
2. Who Uses Laser Tech Sensors?
3. What are Laser Tech’s Sensors Used For?
4. What Environments are Ideal for Laser Tech Sensors?
5. Laser Sensor FAQs