Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Tachometers
Alternate Terms for Tachometers How do Contact Tachometers Operate?
• Angular Speed Meter To measure RPM with a contact tachometer, the
• Rotation Meter tip of the tachometer’s sensor is placed in direct
contact with the rotating object. After a short time an
What is a tachometer? accurate reading is displayed. Linear surface speed
A tachometer is a device that measures the angular can be measured in a similar way; a wheel attachment
speed of a rotating shaft in revolutions per minute is connected to the sensor tip and touched to the
(RPM). A good example of a device that can be moving belt. Three attachment accessories are
measured with a tachometer is a moving fan. Also, provided: Disc, Conical, and Wheel.
some tachometers can measure linear surface speed
in terms of feet per minute (ft/min) or meters per What is the significance of an IR Thermometer?
minute (m/min). An example of a linear surface speed In addition to saving time and cutting cost, the built-in
measurement is a conveyor belt or escalator hand-rail. IR thermometer permits the user to check for hot spots
or to check surface temperature. The IR thermometer
How to select an Extech Tachometer permits non-contact temperature measurements for
Use a non-contact (photo) tachometer for applications areas difficult to reach or unsafe to touch.
where it is not feasible to have the tachometer come
in contact with the rotating device. This is the case in Tachometer Applications
high speed applications and where the object to be • Rotational motor speed
measured cannot be easily reached. • Moving fans, pumps, gears, and machinery
Use a contact tachometer for applications where direct • Production and automotive use
contact of the tachometer with the object is preferred. • Propeller devices
You can also purchase a combination (contact/non-
contact) tachometer for the maximum in flexibility.
Extech Instruments Corporation • 285 Bear Hill Road • Waltham, MA 02451-1064 USA
Phone: 1-781-890-7440 • Fax: 1-781-890-7864 • E-mail: sales@extech.com • Internet: www.extech.com