TECHNOLOGY

The power of our sensors
– why we measure better

NCTE sensors measure torque and other physical forces, such as shear and bending. What makes our technology so special: It works in real time, contactless, extremely precisely and is easy to install in machines and vehicles.

The advantages of NCTE sensors at a glance

  • An existing component becomes a primary sensor - no additional components or strain gauges are required
  • Very easy to integrate into existing systems
  • Non-contact measurements
  • no maintenance required
  • Real-time torque, bending and shear data
  • Very robust and precise over a long period of time
  • Both standard solutions and tailor-made sensors are possible
  • Reliable even at extreme temperatures, strong vibrations, under water and in an oil bath

Magnetostriction
how our technology works

For our innovative approach we use the principle of magnetostriction. This principle is based on an interesting physical process: The length of a body changes under the influence of an external magnetic field. Our technology uses the so-called inverse magnetostrictive effect. When a force acts on a magnetically encoded component, the magnetic field changes. We can observe and measure this - directly, stably over a long period of time, very accurately and reproducibly even under difficult external conditions. The NCTE solution works at very low field strengths, the component itself does not become a magnet.

Direkte Magnetostriktion (li), inverse Magnetostriktion (re)

The shaft becomes the primary sensor

Our patented NCTE process encodes steel components such as drive shafts in such a way that our sensors can measure mechanical forces such as torque and shear precisely and without contact. This magnetic coding is long-term stable (remanent). A separate discrete primary sensor is not required. To ensure that our technology also works when there are external magnetic fields such as EMC interference or mechanical influences such as bending or tumbling, we always generate at least two magnetic fields in the opposite direction.

NCTE technology explained

White Paper

Not only a sprint, but also a marathon:
So durable are our sensors

For our customers and for us, it is important that the measuring sensors work very reliably and precisely over long periods - and are much more robust than strain gauges, for example. This is why we regularly test our technology under extreme conditions, for example in aviation: Together with an aviation expert, we have subjected NCTE systems to a special endurance test. The result:
»"Despite over 2 million load cycles, 68 temperature cycles and 120 hours of vibration, the sensors continue to deliver accurate results." Even a one-sided 8-week stress did not lead to a serious zero offset or change in the slope of the measurement curve. No reference measurement resulted in major measurement distortions due to hysteresis (>1%)."«