Lufft Launches Intelligent IRS31PRO-UMB Road Sensor

Fellbach, Germany, November 28, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Fellbach-based measuring and control equipment manufacturer, G. Lufft presents the newest product in its range of traffic & weather systems with the passive IRS31PRO-UMB road sensor. The road sensor's performance and features were extensively reworked and enhanced by Lufft's R&D department. It will replace the previous IRS21 and IRS31-UMB models with immediate effect. The latest road sensor version provides improved precision for the measurement of freezing and road temperatures.

IRS31PRO-UMB looks back on a history of innovation spanning almost 20 years. The first road sensor was released under the name IRS20 in the 1990s and fulfilled a multitude of requirements at that time. For example, the sensor was capable of measuring temperatures both deeply and superficially, detecting the road condition and any road de-icing salt residues as well as showing any aquatic films on roads. Nonetheless, its greatest innovation lies in the fact that the electronic components could be separated from the housing without damaging the road in the process. This innovation by Lufft was unique at that time and it revolutionized traffic sensor equipment.

The development of the successor model, IRS21, eliminated the problem of conductivity measurements for aquatic films. This model was also the first to use a patented radar method for measuring the layer thickness of precipitation on roads. In this way, aquatic films could not only be estimated, but also measured with a great degree of accuracy. Furthermore, IRS21 was equipped with a special recess, which allowed it to accurately determine the salt content in water on roads, and thereby calculate the freezing temperature.

In the course of continued development for the IRS31-UMB model, this measurement was made more precise and the values were determined solely via an integrated radar sensor. This enabled the sensor to record all measurement values even on autobahns. As a result of this radar technique, nearly all road control facilities in Germany have been equipped with Lufft's weather sensors during the past ten years.

With IRS31Pro-UMB, Lufft has now developed the next generation of weather stations for traffic control. The passive road sensor, which is flush-mounted into the road, features a recently improved recess. It is extremely small, compared to earlier models, and can thus be filled more frequently, which makes it possible to determine the measurement values with even greater precision. The radar method for aquatic films now allows measurement values in the micrometer range. IRS31PRO-UMB is the first integrated road sensor to indicate road friction. To date, such measurement values could only be obtained through non-contact sensors (e.g. Lufft's NIRS31-UMB).

The benefit here lies in the comparability of measurement data from different products. Regardless of whether the user works with integrated or non-contact sensors or with combinations of those, the output data is identical in both scenarios.

The sensor can collect the following measurement variables: Road surface temperature, water film height, freezing temperature for various deicing materials, road condition, friction, ice film and snow film thickness as well as ice percentage. The measured data is available for further processing in the form of a standard protocol (Lufft's UMB protocol). Thanks to the two-part housing design, maintenance and calibration work can be carried out at any time. IRS31Pro-UMB is immediately available for purchase from Lufft or its trading partners.

For more details visit : http://www.lufft.com/en/

Media Contact:

Macheete
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10557 Berlin, Germany
Contact person: Mareen Eichinger
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Company Contact:

G. Lufft GmbH
Gutenbergstr. 20
70736 Fellbach, Germany
Contact person: Tobias Weil
E-Mail: pr@lufft.de
Tel: 0049 711 51822 0
Fax: 0049 711 51822 41