Linear Position Sensors

Product Portfolio Linear Position Sensors

Find the perfect linear position sensor for your application. We’d be happy to help you choose.

Althen Linear Position Measurement Technology

We offer linear position measurement technology for a wide range of applications requiring travel, distance, or position measurements. Our linear position sensors include conventional inductive sensors and displacement sensors, but also specialized sensors that are suitable for OEM applications. Cutting-edge contactless eddy current sensors round off our portfolio.

Althen linear position sensors are based on different physical principles. This enables us to provide the ideal sensor for your application. Our linear position sensors can be divided into contacting and non-contacting position sensors. We also supply intrinsically safe EX position sensors for Ex II 1G, Ex II 1GD, and Ex i/II M1/1GD hazard zones. These position sensors are available in various configurations.

Contacting Linear Position Sensors:

• Linear Variable Differential Transformers (LVDT sensors)
  Within their specified measurement range, LVDT sensors provide excellent linearity. They are capable of detecting very small changes in position and have virtually unlimited resolution. As a result, LVDT sensors are also suitable for measuring high accelerations and high measurement cycles.
  
  
• Linear inductive position sensors
  Linear inductive position sensors are durable, long-lived, and especially stable under temperature fluctuations. That means they are ideal for measuring linear travel in almost any industrial setting – especially with hydraulic or pneumatic applications.
  
  
• Draw-wire sensors
  Draw-wire sensors (also called string pot displacement sensors) can measure distances at up to 0.01 mm accuracy. They measure the position and movement of an object by means of a flexible steel cable that is fed from a spring-loaded spool. The linear movement at the end of the cable is thus transformed into a rotational movement.

• Linear Potentiometers
  Linear-motion potentiometers (potentiometric sensors and displacement sensors) are based on electrical resistance. Their resistance can be altered mechanically (by rotation or transposition). These sensors are primarily used as continuously adjustable voltage dividers. Althen linear potentiometers are highly compact and lightweight, and they come in various configurations.
  
  
• Hall Effect Sensors
  Sensors based on the Hall effect are used to measure the strength of magnetic fields. Their primary applications are in longevity and stress testing as well as for measuring magnetic fields or the thickness of layers. Our Hall sensors are also available in several modified versions for special requirements.

Non-Contacting Linear Position Sensors:

• Eddy current sensors
  Eddy current sensors are contactless position sensors available for measurement ranges from 0.5 to 60 mm. These sensors are not influenced by media such as oil, water, or dust in the measuring gap.
  
  
• Laser triangulation sensors
  Even critical surfaces such as hot metals can be measured using our contactless laser triangulation sensors. They use a laser dot to determine the travel, distance, or position of an object (laser distance sensors).

• Magnetostrictive Linear Position Sensors
  These robust sensors measure the distance between two points. They consist of a fixed base, a waveguide, a movable permanent magnet and a transducer that converts a mechanical vibration into an electrical signal. These sensors are suitable for a wide range of applications, even under extreme conditions. They are largely resistant to temperature, shock, vibration and contamination.

Case studies with Linear Position Sensors 

Would you like to get to know our products in practice? Take a look at these interesting projects from our customers: