Sensors & Transducers


How to choose the right sensor

March 2021 Sensors & Transducers

Choosing a sensor involves deciphering some pretty mind-boggling jargon. Not to mention, there are thousands of sensors ranging from motion to light sensors, each with their own merits and downfalls. It is useful to know the range of sensors that are available when navigating the market and shopping around. To help, this article matches a list of four popular sensors with ideal applications.

Temperature sensors

The job of a temperature sensor is to monitor the heat energy of a source. Traditionally, temperature sensors were simply used to monitor air conditioners. However, when used in conjunction with the IIoT, temperature sensors can be used in particularly innovative ways.

Top industry matches

Manufacturing: temperature sensors monitor machine temperature to prevent unscheduled maintenance. When machinery overheats, it is often indicative of poor electrical connections and may cause the machine to malfunction or to break down completely. Therefore, it is more economical for businesses to perform predictive maintenance of their equipment than it is to try to fix problems after they have already occurred.

Agriculture: temperature sensors can improve crop yield dramatically by allowing farmers to monitor their soil. Soil temperature is critical for farmers to maximise the output of product because heat is a known indicator of soil’s nutrient density. Nutrient density is an essential factor for farmers to know where and when to plant. Additionally, farmers can plan their germination and harvesting periods based on trends that emerge from the collected data.

Humidity sensors

Humidity sensors have evolved beyond measuring water vapour alone. Sensors can now detect carbon monoxide, oxygen and a myriad of dangerous gases. Humidity sensors are usually paired with temperature sensors to facilitate the perfect (or safest) working environment.

Top industry matches

Healthcare: in hospitals, humidity sensors are installed to ensure that the environment is safe for patients at all times. Hospitals need to operate at a particular humidity level to prevent diseases from spreading and stabilise chemicals and gases that are sensitive to environmental changes – for example, central oxygen lines in theatre rooms.

Identification sensors

ID sensors, also called proximity sensors, detect the presence (or absence) of paired devices (like a cellphone). Devices and sensors are usually linked to a user application that records data and displays trends. A device is ‘checked in’ if it comes into close range of the sensor. A signal is transferred using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to a platform that monitors and stores the date, time and location of the ‘check-in’ of that device.

Top industry matches

Security services: ID sensors are commonly used to maintain secure spaces and are particularly popular among private security companies. Guards that patrol warehouses or residential estates can scan ID sensors which are placed at specific checkpoint locations, using their phone as they patrol the area. The collected data can be used for real-time decision making or trend analysis, such as the average time it takes guards to patrol an area.

Pressure sensors

Pressure sensors monitor the change in the force exerted within a contained area. If the pressure in a system deviates beyond the threshold, like in a pump system, the problem will prompt an alert to a system administrator. Monitoring pressure is also a method to detect leaks in underground or hard-to-reach pipes.

Top industry matches

Agriculture: farmers that drill boreholes deep into the ground or run pump lines across a large expanse of land spend much of their time setting up their irrigation systems. Even more of their time goes into maintaining all these water lines and making sure there are no leaks. Pressure sensors provide farmers with a solution to this problem, providing them with remote visibility of pressure, leaks or blockages in the pipes.

There are countless types of sensors, but writing about each and every one of them is outside the scope of this guide. If the sensors in this list do not meet your requirements, we suggest you reach out to our team. We are happy to point you in the right direction. Should your application require a more complex, multi-faceted approach, we can also connect you to one of our partners. Finally, bear in mind that monitoring usually requires more than one type of sensor to create a complementary system.




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Optimise sludge treatment and reduce operational costs
Sensors & Transducers
The Endress+Hauser inline measuring devices, the Proline Teqwave MW 300 and the Proline Teqwave MW 500, determine the total solids content of wastewater directly through microwave transmission. This is considerably less time consuming than the process of determining total solids content in a laboratory.

Read more...
Family of analysers for smart and efficient chlorine measurement
ABB South Africa Sensors & Transducers
ABB has launched ChloroStar, a family of sensors, transmitters and accessories for accurate and reliable chlorine measurement and analysis that enable users in the water, wastewater and other industries to control chlorine more efficiently, enhancing treatment and increasing process uptime.

Read more...
Leading the way with Level 9 PDS implementation
Sensors & Transducers
Applying a Level 9 Proximity Detection System (PDS) to a mining operation is as much about changes in behaviour as it is about technical solutions, according to Pieter Wolfaardt from Apex, Booyco Electronics’ training partner of choice.

Read more...
Enhanced automated weld inspection system
Sensors & Transducers
SmartRay is offering the release of new hardware for its weld inspection system, JOSY, delivering elevated performance and flexibility in the process.

Read more...
Leaders in sensor technology
Gail Norton Instrumentation Sensors & Transducers
Photoelectric eyes have always needed perfect working conditions, but in the workplace there is no such thing. Steam, water, light and dirt interfere with most photoelectric eyes, but never with a Telco sensor.

Read more...
Easy parameter setting of vision sensors
ifm - South Africa Sensors & Transducers
Contour verification and object inspection are two of the most important functionalities in industrial imaging. With the new O2D5xx series, ifm now offers a solution that perfectly masters both functionalities

Read more...
Keeping a close eye on product quality and purity
Endress+Hauser South Africa Sensors & Transducers
Colour measurements are necessary in many processes to avoid product losses and ensure safe production and batching. The Memosens Wave CKI50 process spectrometer from Endress+Hauser is a compact, robust and process-friendly device allowing quality, batching and phase checks to be performed by a single instrument for the entire visible colour spectrum.

Read more...
The sensory reaction of building management systems
Schneider Electric South Africa Sensors & Transducers
Today’s building management systems (BMS) cannot function properly without sensors. This is so critical that if sensors start failing, they can become ‘blind’.

Read more...
Advanced sensor technology to reduce vehicle fatalities
Senseca Sensors & Transducers
Measurement technology plays a critical role across a range of industries. This is especially true when supplying highly accurate and reliable data for road management entities that assist drivers of vehicles experiencing hazardous weather conditions.

Read more...
High-precision automated inspection
Sensors & Transducers
Delivering advanced inline metrology to an expanding range of challenging industries, SmartRay is launching the smallest field-of-view 3D sensor of its cutting-edge ECCO X series.

Read more...









While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved