Industrial Machinery & Robotics

Off-Highway Machinery

Surface acoustic wave technology provides solutions for off-highway manufacturers to measure torque and/or temperature, wirelessly, in real-time. This capability allows torque measurements to be used in the machines control system to improve accuracy, efficiency, and power distribution. This can also contribute to the ability to operate such machines remotely or on a fully autonomous basis and reduce unnecessary breakdowns and costly downtime.

Transense SAW sensor technology measures torque without requiring shaft torsion/flex meaning the mechanical integrity of the component being measured can be maintained creating new possibilities for improved machine control. It can be directly embedded into machine axles, driveline and accessory drive systems to accurately measure the torque being transmitted. Helping to control traction and power distribution in these critical machines.

Robotics

SAW sensor technology can also provide an improved way to measure torque, rotation, and temperature in robotic systems. Measuring torque and forces without reducing the mechanical integrity of the part, and virtually eliminating flex, creating high-performing and more repeatable robots with more compact joints than has previously been possible. SAW technology is robust and reliable offering a highly accurate and high-speed measurement of torque, force and temperature creating new possibilities in robotic system design and control.

Integrating torque measurement and control into the motor control of the robot can help to deliver faster and more stable operation of the robot, significantly reducing torque ripple and dynamic overshoot problems. SAW technology can be applied to a joint sensor but it is also possible to deeply integrate it into the gearbox or drive motor, making more compact joint designs a possibility.

SAW sensors can also enable measurement over a joint with a full rotation of >360° such as in the robotic wrist joint. With force/torque sensors now becoming an essential part of cobot motion system, SAW technology provides a greatly improved sensing solution compared to conventional sensing technologies.

Industrial Engines

SAW sensor technology can be applied to industrial engines to improve efficiency, performance and reliability. Embedding SAW technology into the output shaft of the engine, provides a high speed and accurate verification of the engines performance and output, which is fast enough to be used to detect issues such as a problem with a particular cylinders firing in many applications. This provides the ability to diagnose and manage combustion system faults and prevent potentially dangerous failure modes such as fuel dump into the exhaust system.