SensComp

SensComp is proud to announce a limited-time sale on our instrument grade Smart Sensors!

Through December 31st*, you can get 15% off our instrument grade Smart Sensors. But don’t delay – this offer is only good while current inventory lasts!

Widely used in agriculture, robotics, and manufacturing, these compact sensors offer an integrated design that expedites the product development process.

Do you work at a college or university engineering department? If you have remaining funds for your 2022 budget, now is a great time to purchase Smart Sensors for your students. These sensors are an excellent choice for educational development projects, and can allow engineering students to experiment and test different designs incorporating electrostatic technology.

Series 600 Smart Sensor Capabilities

This SensComp Smart Sensor is based on the ultra-sensitive Series 600 Electrostatic Ultrasonic Sensor Line, and features an enhanced version of our 6500 ranging module. With new voltage-regulated circuitry, the sensor can operate from a 6 to 24 VDC power source.

This sensor is also completely integrated, which allows for simpler product design and packaging. It also incorporates TTL compatible open collector outputs which feature pull-up resistors, while the oscillator circuit allows the unit to be either externally triggered or continually sense at 5 Hz.

Save Big with 2022 year-end Ultrasonic Sensor sales with SensComp

For sonar applications, noise and side lobe detection can be minimized with a digitally controlled gain and variable bandwidth amplifier. These features allow the device to detect objects with a typical absolute accuracy of ±1% over the entire range.

Smart Sensor Features

• 50 KHz Electrostatic Ultrasonic Sensor
• Integrated SMT Drive Electronics
• TTL Compatible
• Convenient Pin Terminal Connection
• Monostable and Astable Modes of Operation
• Voltage Regulated
• Beam Angle of 15° at -6 dB
• Low Ring Characteristics
• Ranges From 6” to 35’
• Excellent Receiving Sensitivity
• Available With All Series 600 Ultrasonic Sensors
• Specifically Intended for Operation in Air at Ultrasonic Frequencies

Real-Life Applications of the Series 600 Smart Sensor

Our Series 600 Smart Sensors are used for a variety of applications. Industrial line control, production line sensing, proximity detection, and distance measurement are all great uses of this reliable, accurate sensor.

These sensors are also broadly used in heavy equipment applications. In fact, heavy equipment used in roadway construction and repair projects throughout the U.S. likely uses SensComp’s sensors with electrostatic technology.

Why Electrostatic Technology?

In comparison to piezoelectric transducers, sensors with electrostatic technology offer a number of different benefits. Electrostatic technology allows for greater range capabilities, greater accuracy and reliability in sensing small targets, and greater stability over a wide temperature range.

In sensitive or critical sensing applications, these advantages are invaluable.

Act Now to Take Advantage of this Limited Time Offer

*Inventory is limited on our instrument grade Smart Sensors. Place an order with SensComp today to save 15% off these quality sensors until December 31 or until inventory lasts!

SensComp is a leading manufacturer of ultrasonic sensors and technology. You can view our complete product line online and learn more about our capabilities. 

If you’re interested in learning more about our ultrasonic sensor technology products, click here.

Here at SensComp, we’re committed to manufacturing the best possible ultrasonic sensors for our customers in various industries. 

Manufacturing technology is always evolving, and in order to produce superior products and components, manufacturers must utilize cutting-edge machinery. 

That’s why we’re proud to announce that we’ve invested in substantial upgrades for all of our electronic manufacturing equipment. Read on for more details.

Our New Machines

Over the last several years, Senscomp has invested in extensive upgrades for nearly every piece of equipment in our facility. These upgrades include a screen printer, a reflow oven, an automated optical inspection (AOI) 3D unit, and selective solder equipment. This equipment focuses on intelligent manufacturing and brings us closer to achieving our automation goals.  

Most importantly, our team has invested in two new Samsung/Hanwha surface mount technology pick and place machines.

New Samsung/Hanwha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Pick and Place Machines Offer Exciting Capabilities

Our new SMT pick and place machines provide an array of exciting capabilities for ultrasonic sensor manufacturing. These machines are four times faster than our previous machines, and also provide significantly greater accuracy.

The new Samsung/Hanwha SMT pick and place machines boast a two gantry, flying vision head system. They offer a placement speed of up to 160,000 chips per hour, and include a high accuracy linear motor.

They offer accuracy ratings of +-40um@ Cpk>1.0(@0402) and +-30um@ Cpk>1.0 (QFP/Stage Vision). Last but not least, they’re capable of working with component sizes of 16mm, H10mm,  and 42mm, H15mm.

To learn more about these machines, click here for a video.

What This Means for You

Our new equipment will be invaluable in our mission to provide the best electrostatic ultrasonic transducers and sensors. When it comes to precision products and the placement of small components, our new Samsung/Hanwha SMT machines are unmatched.

This new machinery has also expanded our manufacturing capabilities, allowing us to expand our product line.

Whether you’re a regular customer or working on your first project with SensComp, this equipment means you can rest assured that you’re receiving ultrasonic sensing components of the highest quality. 

SensComp is a leading manufacturer of ultrasonic sensors and technology. You can view our complete product line online and learn more about our capabilities. 

If you’re interested in learning more about our ultrasonic sensor technology products, click here.

Today’s farmers face historic challenges in running a successful agricultural business. The costs of fertilizer, seeds, fuel, and farming equipment have risen significantly. Additionally, shipping delays are common and labor is hard to find. 

To meet these challenges head-on, farmers must leverage any and all technologies they can to maximize crop yield, maintain quality, and keep costs low. In these endeavors, agricultural sensor technology like ultrasonic sensors are a must. In this article, we’ll cover three ways that these sensors are being used by farmers around the world to run more successful businesses.

Agricultural Sensor Technology for Cultivating and Weeding

Ultrasonic sensors are invaluable in helping farmers keep soil suitable for planting and growing crops. Agricultural sensor technology can be used to detect the rows of plants in a plot of land while tilling and cultivating soil. These steps are crucial for aerating the soil so that crops receive enough oxygen, as well as replenishing vital nutrients in the soil.

They can also be used to detect weeds and discern unwanted plants from crops, which helps with not only removing plants, but applying herbicides. Altogether, ultrasonic sensors are a key tool in efficient cultivation and weed management.

Monitoring Grain Bins and Water Tanks With Agricultural Sensor Technology

One common application of agricultural sensor technology is in monitoring substance levels within a container, much like in manufacturing and other industries. Traditionally, grain bin levels are monitored via manual sampling, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and quickly becomes expensive on large-scale farms.

With ultrasonic sensors, grain levels can be measured accurately and automatically in bins or silos. Furthermore, farmers can measure water levels in tanks, ensuring that each tank has enough water for irrigation while efficiently managing water usage. For example, these sensors can be used to verify that irrigation systems are neither overwatering or underwatering crops.

Using Ultrasonic Sensors for Smarter Harvesting

Agricultural sensor technology also plays a key role in the harvesting process. Ultrasonic sensors are commonly used to identify fruit inside a tree’s canopy. They are also used to detect plots of land from which grain has already been harvested, which allows farmers to avoid harvesting the same areas twice.

Going a step further, farmers are able to gather extensive data sets on crop quality and yields with farmer sensor technology. This data can then be analyzed to actually predict future yields, or identify trends that were invisible to the naked eye. For example, a farmer may determine that a certain area of their plot is more commonly overwatered or struggles with more insect infestations. In these situations, farmers could then modify their process accordingly, either adjusting their irrigation system or selecting more suitable crops for the afflicted area.

Tackling Today’s Farming Challenges Head-On

Running a successful agricultural business is anything but easy in today’s day and age. The good news is that modern technology can equip farmers with extraordinary tools to make their jobs easier. Agricultural sensor technology is one great example of how farmers are rising to the challenge and adapting for more efficient crop monitoring, harvesting, irrigation, and more.

SensComp is a leading manufacturer of ultrasonic sensors and technology. You can view our complete product line online and learn more about our capabilities. 

If you’re interested in learning more about our ultrasonic sensor technology products, click here.

For decades, manufacturers have utilized sensors to improve manufacturing processes. However, advancements in technology like the Internet of Things and local computing power has allowed manufacturers to leverage smart sensor technology for even greater effect. 

In short, smart sensors are sensors with a microprocessor that can also communicate with other devices. They can provide data to either a monitoring system or an operator, allowing businesses to gain deeper insights into what is occurring within their facilities during production or across their entire supply chain.

Armed with this data, businesses are able to vastly improve their operations, streamline production, improve quality, and more. In this blog, we’ll look at a few specific ways manufacturers are using smart sensor technology and ultrasonic sensors.

Using Smart Sensor Technology to Monitor Equipment and Environmental Conditions

Performing preventative maintenance and predicting when machine failures will occur is a huge challenge in manufacturing. All downtime is expensive, with unplanned downtime, in particular, causing costly delays. 

Traditionally, manufacturers have relied on guesswork to create maintenance and repair schedules, doing their best to maintain machines at a low cost while still maximizing production uptime.

Smart sensor technology changes the game. With their ability to track temperatures, speed, weight, object movement, and other factors, smart sensors can be leveraged to notify manufacturing teams when a machine is behaving unusually. By noting potential issues or anomalies in advance, manufacturers can minimize unplanned downtime due to overheated machines and machine failures.

Reducing Energy Costs With Smart Sensor Technology

For years, companies have used sensors to determine when activity is occurring in a room and by extension when it needs to be illuminated or climate controlled. Ultrasonic smart sensors take this a step further. 

For example, smart sensor technology can pinpoint where exactly humans are in a given facility, lighting rooms as they enter them and shutting off the lights as soon as they leave. Alternatively, they can assist with illuminating only the occupied portions of a larger room. The same can be said of temperature, allowing manufacturers to efficiently keep facilities comfortable without overspending on heating or cooling costs.

Optimizing Production and Engineering Better Facilities

In brief, ultrasonic smart sensor technology allows manufacturers to better understand the processes occurring in their production facilities and more – providing an incredibly granular level of detail on each step in the supply chain. With the data provided by these sensors, manufacturers are able to increase efficiency, boost product quality, and meet sustainability targets or other goals.

For example, smart sensor technology may provide manufacturers with an opportunity to understand where bottlenecks are occurring, which machine or line designs are most prone to collisions, and so forth. By gathering data over time with smart sensors, manufacturers can build vast data sets that allow them to gain deeper insights into their production processes and how they may be improved.

Smarter Sensor Technology for More Efficient Manufacturing

Manufacturers have tremendously improved their operations and products with smart sensor technology. The amount of data these sensors are able to capture and the actionable insights they provide would have been unthinkable with the traditional sensors of the past. As we look toward the future, it’s exciting to think of the possibilities and imagine all that manufacturers will be able to achieve with tomorrow’s sensing technologies.

SensComp is a leading manufacturer of ultrasonic sensors and technology. You can view our complete product line online and learn more about our capabilities. 

If you’re interested in learning more about our ultrasonic sensor technology products, click here.

Ultrasonic sensor technology is widely used in a variety of products and environments, including self-parking cars and robotic assembly lines.

But if you’re not sure what it is or exactly how it works, it can be a little confusing.

In a nutshell, ultrasonic sensor technology is a method of distance measurement and object detection. Let’s dive into how it works – and how it is used in different applications today.

How Does Ultrasonic Sensor Technology Work?

Ultrasonic sensor technology uses ultrasonic sound to measure the distance between the sensor itself and a target object. 

In layman’s terms, the device emits an ultrasonic sound, then “listens” for the noise of the sound being reflected off the target object. The sensor measures the amount of time it takes to hear the reflected noise, and uses that to calculate the distance between the sensor and nearby objects.

Since ultrasonic sound is higher than the frequency range that humans can hear, you won’t hear anything when it’s in use even though it is emitting sound.

There are two key pieces to any device using ultrasonic sensor technology: a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter emits a sound using piezoelectric crystals. The receiver “hears” the sound after it has traveled to the target object and been reflected back. 

What is Ultrasonic Sensor Technology Used For?

The most common application of ultrasonic sensor technology is as a proximity sensor. In cars, you’ll find ultrasonic sensors used for self-parking features and anti-collision safety systems. 

Manufacturers also use ultrasonic sensors for robotic collision detection systems, and even detecting the presence of people near dangerous machines.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Like all sensing technologies, ultrasonic sensor technology has its strengths and weaknesses.

One of the main advantages of ultrasonic sensors is that they are less affected by the interference of smoke, gas, and airborne particles in comparison to other sensors. Furthermore, the color of the objects being detected will not affect their performance, allowing them to easily detect translucent or transparent substances like water or glass.

Other key advantages of ultrasonic sensors are their affordability, reliability, and ease of implementation. Their small size makes it easy to incorporate them into different products and environments. Last but not least, they are very precise and can measure up to 20 meters.

As for weaknesses, ultrasonic sensor technology is affected by factors such as temperature and humidity, since these conditions influence how fast sound travels. They cannot operate in a vacuum, since sound cannot travel in such an environment. 

Furthermore, they are unable to detect where precisely an object is located in a sensing environment, only identify its distance to the sensor.

A Simple, Low-Cost and Reliable Sensing Solution

All in all, ultrasonic sensor technology is an affordable and dependable solution for many sensing needs. From the automotive industry to manufacturing to robotics, these sensors are used every day for object detection, collision prevention and more.

SensComp is a leading manufacturer of ultrasonic sensors and technology, view our complete product line online and learn more about our capabilities. 

If you’re interested in learning more about our ultrasonic sensor technology products, click here.

Time sure flies by when you are in business! 

This year, 2022, marks SensComp’s 20th anniversary! 

It’s an interesting story on how SensComp was created.

EDP Company, owned by the same founders as SensComp, developed ultrasonic products  used in two prominent applications:

1. SonaSwitch® 1400, used in the fast-food industry sensing vehicles in the drive-thru lanes, and
2. SonaSwitch®1650,  used as an occupant sensor in mass transit buses.

Both products used the (former) Polaroid 600 and 7000 series electrostatic ultrasonic sensors in their designs. If you are old enough to remember, these sensors were used in Polaroid One Step cameras to focus the lens on their subjects.

EDP manufactured SonaSwitch® products starting in 1984.  The SonaSwitch® 1400 and 1650 products are still manufactured today for fast-food and other applications. 

Around the year 2000, the Polaroid Corporation began having financial difficulties. Since they were the sole worldwide supplier of electrostatic ultrasonic transducers, EDP Company became concerned that the 600 and 7000 ultrasonic sensors would be discontinued if Polaroid went out of business.  Talk about supply chain problems! The choices for EDP were to redesign their sensor products with other ultrasonic sensors, a very expensive option, or discontinue manufacturing their SonaSwitch® products altogether. 

As an alternative, EDP started negotiations with Polaroid in 2001 to purchase the ultrasonic sensor and component division of their business.  By early 2002, the acquisition was completed. The sensor manufacturing equipment was moved from the Polaroid factory in Cambridge, Massachusetts to our facilities in Livonia, Michigan.  The founders named the new company SensComp, Inc.

And, as the saying goes, the rest is history!

It has been an exciting and innovative 20 years in business.  We continue to manufacture and supply the original Polaroid 600 and 7000 series ultrasonic sensors to the hundreds of customers that have designed their products based on these technologies. We have also integrated new technologies with these sensors and offer a wide range of sensor products for all our loyal customers.

SensComp and its dedicated employees wish to thank all of our customers in the US and throughout the world for their loyal support over the past 20 years.  It has been our pleasure to supply our customers’ ultrasonic sensor needs.

Lastly, all of our products are proudly made in the USA!

Since 2002, SensComp has been a world leader in ultrasonic sensors. Today, we’re proud to announce the relaunch of our website, designed to work harder than ever for you.

Simplified Purchasing

Commerce has shifted greatly since our company was acquired from Polaroid nearly two decades ago. Additionally, the past year saw major changes in how retailers and consumers were able to interact. As a leader in the industry, it’s important to ensure we’re meeting our customers where they are.

Our new website features our entire stock available for purchase online. From the comfort of your home, office, or wherever you are on your mobile device, you have access to our large selection of in-air ultrasonic sensors, ranging components, complete plug-and-play systems and educational and evaluation kits. 

On Your Schedule

Your time is valuable. And when it comes to business, time is money. With our new website, you can order online at any time. Plus, any orders placed before 12 noon EST will be shipped the same day. Our team is working to ensure you get the items you need on a timeline that works for you.

Manufacturers in our industry have suffered due to supply chain issues around the world. SensComp has tackled these issues. Most of our products are assembled in-house in the United States, meaning our vast inventory is ready to go when you need it. You have enough to keep track of in your business, you don’t need to add supply chain issues to the list. With SensComp, you can rest easy knowing your order is right here in the states, soon to be on its way to you.

Looking Ahead

The SensComp team isn’t stopping with a revamped website. We’re revolutionizing our business to ensure we’re a leader in the ecommerce space. As the industry continues to change, we intend to stay ahead of the pack to make sure you have what you need from us.

In addition to our website and sales process, we’re working to redesign our products as well. Additional features, the latest technology and more will be at your fingertips as we continue to grow our business and look toward the future with our customers at top of mind. Watch out for our new product offering, a transducer terminal connector, soon to be featured at the top of our new website.

Have thoughts on our redesign or suggestions on how we can better serve you? Leave a comment below. Or, check out our new sales page and begin your first online order with SensComp today.