Laser micrometers, such as the Mitutoyo laser micrometer, use a laser beam that is reflected off of a rotating optical element to measure the diameter of an object, size of an object, or distance between two objects. The part or object is placed into the path of the laser, thus obstructing the beam, and creating a gap in the receiving end that lasts for a certain amount of time. The interruption time is indicated by clock pulses and is proportional to the dimension of the workpiece in the downward direction. The transitions between the receiving end detecting the beam and then not detecting the beam, also known as edges, mark the measuring sections of the part and are used to determine the final size of the part being measured. Laser micrometers come in a variety of models with differing measurement ranges. Back to entire glossary
