Blogs
Oiling System Uses Capacitive Sensing to Detect Water Contamination
Water contamination can reduce the life of lubricants and increase the frequency of maintenance and repairs. If corrective action isn’t taken before an out-of-limit incident occurs, operational costs can escalate. When unplanned maintenance disrupts operations, productivity suffers and technicians may focus on a quick fix instead of the root cause. To detect water contamination in oil systems, in-line capacitance probes can be used. These flexible, off-the-shelf devices provide automatic and continuous monitoring. Yet checking moisture levels isn’t just about enhancing reliability or eliminating corrosion. In-line capacitance probes improve operations by supporting a proactive approach to maintenance. How In-Line Capacitance Probes [...]
The Top Five Trends Impacting Test and Measurement for 2019
With 2019 upon us, we know everyone is thinking about what's next in the Test and Measurement industry. We also know that without test and measurement equipment, engineers can't accurately and consistently prove that their mechanical or electronic devices perform as required. When they don't work, engineers also need to determine why and how to fix them. All of this leads to innovative thinking on how to test and measure even better by taking advantage of rapidly growing trends such as digitization, software, additive manufacturing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and new sensing applications that are driving advances in T&M. [...]
Offshore Wind Supply Chain Uses MTI Capacitance Sensors
Capacitance sensors from MTI Instruments are an important part of the supply chain for offshore wind (OSW) in New York State. According to a recent report from the Center for Economic Growth (CEG), New York’s Capital Region is home to MTI Instruments and dozens of other manufacturers who support this growing form of wind power. The Capital Region also offers essential infrastructure for OSW. As the CEG report explains, the New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) has assessed 54 waterfront sites for OSW-related projects such as component staging, manufacturing, and fabrication. Two of the most promising sites [...]
Digital Accumeasure Gen 3 Reduces Noise and Increases Resolution
MTI Instruments is announcing a third-generation digital capacitance displacement gauge with lower noise and an industry-leading resolution. The Digital Accumeasure DSeries Gen 3 provides up to 0.01% FST linearity and is designed for measuring gap, vibration, and positioning. In both analog and digital systems, noise is an unwanted disturbance that distorts or interferes with a desired electrical signal. MTI’s Digital Accumeasure Gen 3 is a lower-noise amplifier than the Gen 2 and features sub-nanometer resolution for highly-precise measurements. Using state-of-the-art technology, the Digital Accumeasure DSeries Gen 3 converts a highly-reliable capacitive electric field measurement (displacement) directly into a highly-precise [...]
New Signal Buffer Conditioner Solves Signal Distribution Challenge
MTI Instruments is solving signal distribution challenges with a new product, the BC804 signal buffer conditioner. Now available as part of a limited production run, the BC804 acts as a buffered amplifier and is optimized for ultra-sensitive measurement equipment. When a single signal must be distributed to multiple instruments, one shortened output can affect the others. The BC804 solves this signal-distribution challenge by providing eight fully independent and isolated buffer amplifier channels. With the BC804, each channel has one input and four buffered outputs. Each output can tolerate a short without failure and won’t affect the other outputs. Equipped with [...]
Webinar: Produce Sensor Signals with a Handheld Signal Generator
Don Welch, MTI Instruments’ Director of Engineering held a webinar where he presented “Simulate, Calibrate and Verify Field Sensor Transmission with a Portable Signal Generator” and then led a Q&A session. MTI is a worldwide supplier of precision measurement solutions and portable balancing equipment. The Albany, New York company held a IEEE GlobalSpec webinar on Friday, November 9, 2018 from 11 AM to 12 PM EST (8 AM to 9 AM PST). Attendees learned how the MTI 1510 Signal Generator can be used to generate various kinds of sensor signals for testing, calibrating a data acquisition system (DAQ), or [...]
About Wafer Bow And Warp Measurement Systems
Semiconductor/Solar Wafer Bow And Warp Metrology/Surface About Wafer Bow And Warp Measurement Systems Thickness Measurement for Metrology Systems ASTM F657: The distance through a wafer between corresponding points on the front and back surface. Thickness is expressed in microns or mils (thousandths of an inch). Total Thickness Variation (TTV) ASTM F657: The difference between the maximum and minimum values of thickness encountered during a scan pattern or series of point measurements. TTV is expressed in microns or mils (thousandths of an inch). Figure above shows a wafer placed between two non-contact [...]
Perspective: The Importance of Aviation Engine Vibration Testing
A White Paper by Rick Jones, President and CEO of MTI Instruments, addressing the industry-wide challenge of aviation safety and service and the importance of jet engine testing.
Three Vibration / Balancing Solutions for the Aviation Industry
A technical White Paper by Isaac Abbott, Lead Engineer for MTI Instruments, on three vibration/balancing solutions for the aviation industry.
TESTING CHARGE AMPLIFIER GAIN AND FREQUENCY RESPONSE WITH A SIGNAL GENERATOR
[Application Note 40518] Piezoelectric transducers produce small electrical charges in response to pressure. Their sensitivity, ruggedness, and stability at high temperatures make them an essential building block of many accelerometers and pressure sensors. Applications include turbine vibration measurement (accelerometers) and combustion dynamics monitoring (pressure sensors). Typically, the high-impedance charge output produced by a piezoelectric transducer must be conditioned and amplified before transmission across system cabling to the data acquisition and measurement instrumentation. This conversion is accomplished with a device called a charge amplifier. Problem Over time, a charge amplifier’s signal response can drift. Damage to the charge amplifier or associated [...]