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Measuring speed of a conveyor belt

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otis79

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Hi all

I need to measure the speed of a conveyor belt but would like to avoid shaft sensors or the encoders. Is there an IR sensor on the market that could be positioned above the belt to provide suficient data for speed reading?

Thanks
Tom
 

IR sensors come in two kinds, ones that work by interrupting the light between source and detector and ones that rely on reflection to direct the light from source to detector. Does your conveyor have any facility to use those methods?

For interrupter types there has to be a gap or opening in the belt that lets light pass through periodically, the source is one one side and the detector on the other.
For reflective types, source and detector can be on the same side but something reflective has to pass by them periodically.

If the conveyor is driven by a gear or sprocket mechanism, there may be other ways to do it that are non-invasive.

Brian.
 

Hi,

you really need the belt speed?
Or is RPM measurement of any wheel on the conveyor also good?

For good results you should give your requirements.
* range of belt speed (or range of RPM)
* accuracy
* resolution
* how often do you need a measured value
* environment (temperture and so on..)

and so on..

Klaus
 

Is there an IR sensor on the market that could be positioned above the belt to provide suficient data for speed reading?

There is the principle of the optical mouse. An led shines a light down onto the surface. A high speed camera takes pictures. Software detects speed and direction that my hand is pushing it. It is able to read almost any surface. I suppose the software looks at two pictures and identifies light and dark patterns, so it compares how position changes from one picture to the next.

Article:

computer.howstuffworks.com/question631.htm

Product description (retired IC):

www.sparkfun.com/products/retired/12907
 

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