Making tiny sensors is not exactly a cinch, but it's easy compared with making tiny sensors that are also highly accurate. We've been doing both for 40 years. In fact, our Model F, designed especially to measure airflow pressures on the rotors of U.S. Army helicopters, was the first product we ever made.

From that tiny beginning has grown one of the largest miniature sensor lines offered anywhere in the world-and one of the best.

Building Accuracy into Smaller-Than-a-Dime Sensors

Our highly skilled technicians have got what it takes-equipment, skills, and experience-to machine very small sensors that deliver topnotch performance. Working under high-intensity microscopes, they use miniature strain gauge technologies, and specialized calibration and temperature compensation techniques to make sure that we never sacrifice precision for size.

High manufacturing temperatures could damage these miniatures, so we use electron-beam welding (EB) for a deep, penetrating weld with less heat. Using EB welding also expands the possibilities by letting us join dissimilar materials.

Precision and toughness - it's a lot to pack on half a dime, but we've done it. And with such a big family, we've got a miniature that will do just about anything you need it to. For instance, our Model F and Model 13 measure force in airbag deployment testing; Model 34 weighs IV bags dispensing expensive pharmaceuticals; and Models 31 and 13 check pressure during corneal transplants and cataract surgery. Flush diaphragm models like the A-105, S, or 355 monitor pressure in applications that lay down lines of paint, epoxy, resin, glue-any liquid that congeals or solidifies.

There's lots more. See what a few other members of our exceptional family have been up to.

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Tiny and thin (0.042 inch) Model F was the first member of our miniature family-the one we developed for U.S. Army helicopters forty years ago. The Model F enabled lift calculations by measuring the change in pressure as air flowed over the rotors in which it was embedded.

And with it's ultra-slim profile, Model F found itself tucked under the O-ring seal on the space shuttle's solid rocket boosters. From there, it helped scientists measure the pressures created by the expansion and contraction of the seal as it responded to temperature conditions.

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Nicknamed the Top Hat for its distinctive shape, this one-half-inch diameter workhorse handles loads up to 10,000 lb. One job it handles with aplomb: Detecting broken punches in sheet metal stamping operations. When located under each punch assembly on a 200 cycle-per-minute operation, the unit will capture, stroke-by-stroke, force changes resulting from broken punches or clogged buttons.

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In post-production testing on automotive lines, the Model S screws into a pre-existing hole in the transmission of randomly selected vehicles to check for fluid pressure and leakage.

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In a typical day's work, this little accelerometer handles modal analysis and vibration testing on flexible circuit boards, such as those found in desktop computers. By determining the natural frequency of the many components, manufacturers can ensure that the vibrations associated with shipping and everyday usage will not unseat the boards.

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Too little titanium in jet engine blades means the blades won't survive the chemical milling process; too much, and the blades will not be properly balanced. Once engine manufacturer mounted its rough-forged blades in a fixture fitted with 32 Model M-5P LVDTs (16 above and 16 below). Displacement, measured at 16 points, was used to create a profile of the blade and determine its fitness for the next part of the process.

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• Speed, Position & Current Sensors
• Thermal & Humidity Sensors
• Pressure Force & Flow Sensors
• Relays
• Switches & controls
• Potentiometers & Resistors
• Safety Products for Machine Safeguarding
• Vehicle Controls & Monitoring