K-Tek Corp. in Prairieville, La., said its laser level-gauge, Lasermeter, measures bulk solids and opaque liquids for several industries, including plastic resin held in silos and hoppers.
The laser wavelength is only 1 micrometer, compared with the wavelength of radar of more than 10,000 micrometers, it has virtually no beam divergence, and it can measure to surfaces at an angle, K-Tek said. Lasermeter also does not give false echoes from tank walls and other objects between the device and the material being measured.
3M Co.'s plant in Brookings, S.D., uses Lasermeter to measure resin pellets in a dryer hopper. Allen Schumaker, senior resident engineer at the plant, said ultrasonic leveling gave too many false readings.
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