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Minneapolis, MN—July 23, 2008—Banner Engineering WORLD-BEAM® QS30H2O Opposed Mode Water Sensors provide an innovative solution for efficiently detecting water-based liquids in clear, frosted, colored or even partially opaque bottles or containers. QS30 Water Sensors use a specially designed 1450 nm sensing beam, which is inherently absorbed by water, to make the previously challenging clear bottle/clear water combination detection a high-contrast application, enabling reliable detection. In addition, QS30 Water Sensors have high excess gain to "burn through" colored glass, labeled/decorated bottles and translucent milk jugs to detect the liquid contents.
QS30 Water Sensors consist of an emitter and a choice of either a low-power receiver, ideal for detecting water in clear bottles, or a high-power receiver, designed to effectively receive the emitted beam through partially opaque containers. In addition, the 13 mm diameter beam can be shaped using one of the three apertures that come standard with each emitter/receiver pair. The aperture reduces excess gain and narrows the sensing beam, facilitating accurate detection of water in vials, test tubes or other small vessels and containers. Pricing for a QS30 Water Sensor emitter/receiver pair begins at just $285.
"At a wavelength of 1450 nm, water absorbs about 1,000 times more energy than at visible wavelengths, allowing the QS30 Water Sensor to deliver reliable results in two ways," said Dennis Smith, technical marketing engineer at Banner. "When the bottle is clear, the energy absorption of the water creates high contrast between the water and the bottle. For example, a clear PET plastic bottle may attenuate about 5% of the light emitted, while the water attenuates about 95% of the light energy, allowing for simple discrimination between an empty or full bottle. The sensor also has the optical power to 'burn through' many partially opaque glass and plastic containers, but not through the liquid contents." Smith adds, "This light-blocking technique delivers accurate sensing at a cost-effective price."
Applications. The unique design and robust ability of the QS30 Water Sensor make it an exceptional solution for demanding sensing applications, including:
The QS30 Water Sensor is a member of Banner's WORLD-BEAM QS30 product line, an exceptional family of easy-to-use sensing products with a wide array of sensing modes and sizes, and delivered in a standard 30 mm housing. The sensor's rich feature set also includes the following: