Microscan, a global manufacturer and pioneer of auto ID solutions from the world’s first laser diode barcode scanner to the Data Matrix symbol, announces the availability of fully-integrated liquid lens autofocus models of the MicroHAWK® Barcode Reader platform, along with new Polarizer and Diffuser optical filter accessories.
The MicroHAWK ID-30 and ID-40 barcode readers are designed for tough industrial environments and offer incredible decoding power and speed, coupled with extremely compact and durable housing. Users can further extend the application of MicroHAWK readers for specific integration environments by adding optional, field-upgradable accessories to these devices. New Diffuser and Polarizer optical filter accessories optimize the performance of MicroHAWK readers in specific applications where barcodes are placed on highly-reflective surfaces. By simply replacing the standard front window of the device with the Diffuser or Polarizer window, the selected optical filter will block out unwanted light, passing only the light needed for inspection while enhancing contrast and resolution.
In applications where a barcode is marked on a reflective surface, such as a Data Matrix symbol abraded onto a shiny metal part, specular reflections from the metal can ”blind” the barcode reader and impede decoding. The Diffuser accessory, which uses a diffusion filter, softens and flattens the background light around the barcode and helps minimize noise and reflections. The Diffuser filter is useful when the reader needs to be mounted perpendicular (90 degrees) to the part, where direct specular reflection is most likely.
The Polarizer accessory, which uses a polarizing filter, is ideal for managing reflections from other highly-reflective, transparent or lucid materials such as cellophane or glass test tubes. The Polarizer eliminates “hot spots” caused by reflections by allowing one linear light polarization to be used for the outgoing scanning beam, while the other perpendicular light polarization will return to the scanner, pass through the polarizer, and be detected.
Liquid lens autofocus technology has been offered in Microscan technology since the release of the company’s high-performance QX Hawk barcode imager in 2009. This technology uses electrostatic pressure to create electrical currents that react with the two liquids inside the lens to produce the appropriate lens curvature. This enables barcode imagers to read symbols at any distance and speed in any environment, from high-density 3.3 mil Data Matrix symbols on complex PCBs, to very large linear barcodes on packages, to low-contrast direct part mark (DPM) symbols on machined parts.
New MicroHAWK accessories, including the Polarizer and Diffuser, are now in stock and available for purchase.
Microscan is dedicated to providing solutions to the most demanding barcode reading applications. Paired with new Polarizer and Diffuser accessories, MicroHAWK barcode readers are poised to take on any barcode reading challenge.
