Blogs
Engine Vibration and Balancing Principles
What do you think when you’re flying home, cruising at 30,000 feet and the drinks have just been served? Our engineers think about the ripple in the glass. That ripple signals vibration and is an indication that the engine may be in need of a balance. The MTII’s PBS-4100+ Series Turbine Vibration Analyzer/Balancing System was developed to ensure that Turbine engines run as efficiently as possible. Excessive vibration is detrimental for a host of reasons: energy intended for useful output is instead expended on the vibration vibration manifests as acoustic energy (noise), again wasting otherwise useful energy excessive [...]
15 Measurement Activities for Students
Image Source: Pixabay 15 Measurement Activities for Students Written by: Tiffany Chambers Did you know we measure things every day without realizing we do so?Whether we’re measuring how much sugar to add to a cake or figuring out how many more miles we can drive before our car needs an oil change, we’re constantly measuring things. Allowing your children and students to measure alongside you will prepare them for the real world. We assembled a list of fun measurement activities for your kids right at home and in the classroom. These activities require little in terms of [...]
Selecting a Displacement Sensor / Measuring System
Capacitive displacement sensors Capacitive displacement sensors are non-contact devices that are used for measurements at a high-resolution. It can also be used to check the position of any conductive object as well as measure the width or density of non-conductive materials. Capacitive displacement sensors have a large variety of uses including precision thickness measurements, assembly line testing, assembly metrology, and semiconductor processing. Capacitive displacement sensors can be found in manufacturing facilities all around the globe. There’s more to selecting the proper type of displacement sensor and measurement system than meets the eye. To select the appropriate type of device [...]
What is Measurement?
Measurement is about determining the quantifiable attributes of a target object. Examples of these attributes include: length weight distance thickness position capacity size The following sections explain more about what measurement is – and isn’t. Why is measurement misunderstood? Sometimes, people use the term “measure” instead of “calculate” or “quantify”. All these terms are related, but they’re not the same. For clarity’s sake, think of measurement as a single action that you perform with instrumentation. Collectively, “instrumentation” describes devices (i.e., instruments) that measure, indicate, and sometimes record values. Today, there are many different types of specialized measuring instruments. Bakers [...]
What is Calibration, and Why Is It Important?
Calibration Calibration in measurement technology is the evaluation of measurement values that is delivered by a device that can deliver a calibration standard of known accuracy. Think of this standard as another measurement device of known accuracy. This device would generate the quantity that would be measured, such as voltage. The outcome of the comparison can result in three possible outcomes: no significant error is noted on the device that is being tested, a significant error was noted but no adjustments were made, or an adjustment was made to correct the error to an acceptable level. BIPM The International [...]
Capacitors
A Tutorial on Capacitors Introduction A capacitor is a passive electrical component comprised of two terminals. And together with inductors and resistors, they are the most basic components used inelectrical circuits. For a fact, it’s quite rare to come across a circuit that doesn’t have a capacitor. Fig 1: Different types of capacitors Source:Eric Schrader from San Francisco, CA, United States, Capacitors (7189597135), CC BY-SA 2.0 In case you are wondering, capacitors are pretty special because they can store energy, just like an electric battery that’s fully charged. Caps, as we normally call them,have plenty of vital circuit applications. Some of their most [...]
Laser Safety Standards
Laser Safety Standards Handling lasers can be dangerous to the user. That’s why safety measures have been put in place as a form of protection. IEC 60825-1 has become the standard of laser products on an international level and is seen as a common safety standard in countries that belong to the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). CDRH The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) is a bureau established under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Department of Health and Human Resources. It has fallen upon the CDRH to regulate manufactured [...]