Laser Interferometric

Gauging Probe

LM-Series

Design and Operation

Major Performance Features

Our LM-Series laser interferometric gauging probes are

precision length measurement instruments; the first of their kind

to make contact length measurements over ranges of 0 -

20 mm to 0 - 50 mm with nanometer precision.

Compactly designed gauging heads and 8h6-mm diameter

probe shafts allow for their use with conventional length

measurement systems.

The integral miniature interferometer converts displacements of

the motor driven probe shaft into optical interference signals

that are transmitted on a fiberoptic cable to an optoelectronic

signal processing/power supply unit for processing and output

as lengths.

A frequency stabilized HeNe Laser serves as the light source

for the miniature interferometer. Compensation of

environmental influences form the basis for high metric

precisions and are achieved through the correction of laser

wavelengths.

Instrument operation and display of measurement results are
controlled either through a separate keypad/display unit or a PC

running the software package supplied.

• Ultrahigh precision and accuracy achieved

through the employment of a laser

interferometric measurement technique

• Employs a frequency stabilized HeNe laser

as a length standard

• Excellent linearity in the whole measurement

coverage

• Force exerted by the gauging probe remains

constant over the full dynamic range

• Employs a fiberoptic coupled gauging probe

• Employs signal acquisition/transmission

hardware immune to electromagnetic

interference

• Causes no thermal interference with other

metrological equipment experimental setups

• Corrects for variations in laser wavelength

caused by ambient conditions

• Motor-driven probe shafts

• Usable in any orientation

Applications

• Precision length measurements

• Final dimensional checks

• Calibrating gauge blocks/pins/plugs, rules,

dial gauges, and other measuring devices

• Measuring thicknesses of, e.g., plastic films

• Measuring depths of indentations produced

by hardness testers

• Contact surface profiling

• Measuring deformations

• Gauging tasks in research and development

work at near-reference-standard precision