A temperature sensor is a device to measure the heat or coolness of an object through electric signals. It is essential for product manufacturing companies like steel, glass, iron, copper, aluminum and lead. But why? The temperature sensors help to know if you have reached a specific temperature, to make the materials malleable or turn to another state. Hence, determining temperature is crucial in any engineering field.
However, this is not an easy task to buy an individual Pt temperature sensor. There are large varieties available in the market. With this in mind, there are some important things to consider when buying the best individual temperature sensor. Let’s read the article to discover.
Six Factors To Consider While Buying The Best Individual Temperature Sensor
Want to buy a temperature sensor? Then consider the following six factors while choosing it.
- Type
There are different types of temperature sensors designed for specific functions. They have different strengths and weaknesses to perform tasks.
However, before buying, you need to understand which material it’ll interact with. Depends on the materials and device allocation, choose the temperature sensor.
The most popular types of temperature sensors are:
- RTD: Resistance Temperature Detector or RTD works on the correlation between the resistance of metals and temperature. It provides stable and precise measurement. The most accurate RTDs are made of platinum. The wire wrapped around the core is made up of ceramic or glass. However, they have a slow response time.
- NTC Thermistor: In the case of Negative Temperature Coefficient or NTC Thermistor, resistance increases with temperature decrease. Primarily they are used as a resistive temperature sensor. They can sense a change in resistance when the temperature varies. Besides, NTC Thermistors provide results with high accuracy.
- Thermocouple: The most widely used temperature sensor is Thermocouple. It consists of two dissimilar electrical conductors connected at a junction. The Thermocouple produces a voltage, varying with temperature. This voltage is then used to measure the temperature. The supplier and partner for sensors provide inexpensive commercial thermocouples.
- Semiconductor-Based sensor: This device is popularly known as the IC temperature sensor. This type senses variations of the forward voltage of two diodes to measure temperature. However, due to low accuracy and slowest time response, these are not in demand.
- Temperature Range
Have you any idea about the temperature ranges of sensors? Choose wisely depends on your production requirement.
If the production company involves reaching an extreme temperature, then the Thermocouple is the best choice. Only it ranges past 1000°C.
The manufacturers of medical and automotive, along with those involved in plastic extrusion, require a narrow temperature range. RTD offers high accuracy across -200°C to 600°C, whereas the effective range of Thermistors is -50°C to 250°C. However, the Semiconductor-based sensors have the smallest range between -70°C to 150°C.
- Packaging
You may wonder why the packaging is important while buying an individual temperature sensor. Low-cost sensors, like Semiconductor-based sensors, are mostly covered with an epoxy coating. Hence, they can’t be used to measure hot oil.
In contrast, to use a sensor in a colder or warmer environment, a sensor with glass packaging is recommended. Furthermore, sensors sealed in stainless steel ensures better performance. Not only facilitating the measurement but also to protect the gadget from environmental factors, the packaging is necessary.
- Stability
The accuracy of the temperature devices changes according to their age, material, construction and packaging. For example, RTDs changes to 0.002°C every year, whereas NTC Thermistors change for 0.02°C annually. Conversely, Thermocouples have considerable changes of approximately 1°C per year.
Therefore, to maintain stability and accuracy, regular calibration of the sensors is important. Otherwise, it won’t be operational in the long run.
- Precision
Precision is one of the important things to consider when buying the best individual temperature sensor. Poor data processing or human error can lead to inaccurate measurement. In order to acquire precise temperature control from an application, accuracy is a must. Therefore, a potential device should have a sturdy detection circuit to ensure a quality and reliable outcome.
- Noise Immunity
Last but not least, noise immunity is another key factor to consider. The accuracy of sensor devices is susceptible to interferences like electrical noise or lead resistance. These can hinder the measurement.
For example, RTD may not get affected by electrical noise but susceptible to lead resistance. On the othe hand, Thermocouples are immune to the latter but not to the former.
Conclusion
It’s important to realize what type of temperature sensor you need before buying. Take your time and research the various types. Know their temperature and accuracy range, especially for industrial usage where temperature can be extremely high or low.
Another key point is to confirm whether the packaging can interact with the material or not. Additionally, sensor stability ensures a precise and accurate result. Hence, check for noise immunity. Finally, you can have an idea while shopping for the best temperature sensor in the market.
