Suggestions for setting up linear gages

[bharrison]

Hello,

The company I work for is looking to setup a large fixture to measure the surface tolerence of an extremely long part. The measurements need to happen simutanesouly to ensure that the material is resting in the fixture properly, and evenly. We are considering using Mitutoyo 542 linear gages for these measurements, and we will be using between 16-32 of them concurrently.

We are familiar with using these tpyes of gages, and we have an EE on staff to aid in setting these up, but I am curious which type of DAQ would be best for this situation? We are looking for simplicity, since this job could continue to run for 15+ years into the future. Also, interfacing with software to help operators is also extremely important.

I am open to any suggestions that you guys can provide me with. I am the programmer who will be in charge of writing the software that the operators will be using, so my experience in linear gages is very limited, though I do have a fairly low histroy in 12v analog systems.

Bruce

[amezam]

Hi Bruce,

I would recommend a CDAQ 9188 with 8 modules; they could be NI 9219 or NI 9237. Both support strain/bridge-based sensors with quarter, half or full bridge. Each of these modules acquires data from 4 gages. These modules don’t acquire simultaneously, since they are multiplexed devices. Nevertheless, the delay between channels is fast enough for general applications. In the other hand, the data will be displayed simultaneously. If you have further questions, I would recommend you to call support at 866-275-6964 and speak with one of our Technical Sales Representatives.

Have a good day!