This section provides an overview for linear gauges as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 10 linear gauge manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked linear gauge companies as of June, 2023: 1.Omega Engineering, Inc., 2.HEIDENHAIN, 3.Magnescale.
Table of Contents
A linear gauge is a device used to measure the amount of displacement of an object to be measured.
It is used to measure the number of rotations of a shaft or to optically measure the amount of displacement of a device that is driven in a specific direction. It consists of a moving slit attached to the measurement target, two fixed slits, and a machine that counts the waveform of the slit as a pulse wave. The moving force of the measurement target is recognized as a pulse wave, and the degree to which the measurement target has moved by the number of waves can be measured. The measurement accuracy depends on the slit spacing.
Linear gauges are mainly used as sensors for machine tool control. Therefore, the industries in which they are used range from automobiles to home appliances, machine parts, logistics, and experiments. When selecting a linear gauge, it is necessary to consider the accuracy of the selection, its suitability for the environment in which it will be used, and whether it can be mounted. Examples of linear gauge applications are shown below.
This section describes the principle of operation of linear gauges. A linear gauge is divided into two parts: the detection part, which uses a slit or similar device to detect the amount of change in the light waveform, and the counting part, which transforms the light waveform into a pulse wave and counts the number of pulse waves. The detection section consists of a light source, two fixed slits whose phases are offset by 1/4 pitch, and a moving slit that is attached to the measurement object. The counting section consists of a light-receiving element and a counter.
In operation, when the measurement target moves, light emitted from the light source passes through the two fixed slits and reaches the moving slit. The light that passes through the moving slit reaches the light-receiving element, and its waveform is measured. The two misaligned fixed slits cause the waveform to change, and the direction of movement is determined according to the amount of change in the waveform. The direction of movement is determined according to the amount of change in the waveform.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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OMEGA Engineering, Inc. was founded in 1962 and based in Norwalk, Connecticut as a manufacturer of ultra-fine gauge thermocouples. Today the company delivers on 13 full product lines manufactured in an ISO 9001-2015 compliant laboratory. The company offers services such as repair, calibration, and custom engineering. Calibration services include temperature, humidity, pressure, flow, and others. The company offers three levels of custom engineering: custom modifications, new product designs, and complete systems engineering.
CITIZEN FINEDEVICE CO., LTD. is a Japanese manufacturer headquartered in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi. It was established in 1959 through the merger of three Japanese companies: Citizen Miyota Co., Ltd., Citizen Finetech Co., Ltd., and Citizen Seimitsu Co., Ltd. The company specializes in precise metal parts for automobiles and other products, including quartz oscillators and ceramic components. Production processes are supported by various technologies, such as precise metal part machining, thin-film technology, and sealing technology, catering to different applications. Since 2019, CITIZEN FINEDEVICE, along with its holding company CITIZEN Group, has actively implemented Responsible Minerals Procurement Policy and Environmental Policy.
Marposs S.p.A. is headquartered in Bentivoglio, Italy. The company serves industries such asa aerospace, semiconductors, machine tooling, and biomedical as a manufacturer and as a service provider. The company’s products vary by industry but include tools for gauging, profiling, and monitoring, as well as data management systems and machines for testing and automation. The company’s services include after sales service, customer training, original spare parts, retrofit and upgrade of existing machinery, and project management consulting services.
Mitutoyo was founded in 1934 and headquartered in Kawasaki City, Japan. The company is a manufacturer and seller of precision measuring instruments including software, optics, machinery, and electronics. The company is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited for calibration services for measuring instruments. The company’s product lines include Micrometers, Calipers, Calibration Equipment, Vision Measuring Systems, and many others. The company’s coordinate measuring machines and roundness/cylindricity measuring machines are sol in over 60 countries worldwide.
OMRON Industrial Automation is the UK branch of OMRON, originally founded in Japan in 1933. OMRON Industrial Automation serves food and beverage industry, panel board design, automotive manufacturing industries among others. OMRON Industrial Automation products categories include automation systems such as industrial PCs and human machine interfaces (HMI), safety such as safety switches and safety logic control systems, switching components such as solid state relays, motion & drives such as motion controllers, sensing such as photoelectric sensors, software, robotics, quality control & inspection systems, as well as control components including power supplies and digital panel indicators.
SANTEST (STC) is a manufacturer of sensors, transducers, and other mechatronic products based in Osaka, Japan. Founded in 1953, the company's products are used in various industrial applications such as robotics, injection molding, hydraulic systems, and machine tooling. The company's product lineup includes pressure and magnetostrictive transducers for assessing process variables, servo valves for controlling flow rates or pressure ranges using electronic signals, and ultrasonic sensors for precise measurement using ultrasonic waves. STC also provides its clients with after-sales services such as calibration, maintenance, and repair.
Ranking as of June 2023 in United States of America
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Omega Engineering, Inc. | 50% |
2 | HEIDENHAIN | 16.7% |
3 | Magnescale | 16.7% |
4 | CITIZEN FINEDEVICE CO.,LTD. | 16.7% |
Ranking as of June 2023 Globally
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Omega Engineering, Inc. | 25% |
2 | HEIDENHAIN | 16.7% |
3 | Magnescale | 16.7% |
4 | Unipulse | 8.3% |
5 | OMRON Industrial Automation | 8.3% |
6 | Marposs | 8.3% |
7 | CITIZEN FINEDEVICE CO.,LTD. | 8.3% |
8 | SANTEST (STC) | 8.3% |
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the linear gauge page as of June 2023. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History