Linear transducers are used to detect the position and speed of rectilinear mechanical movements.

Also linear transducers vary in accordance to the motion sensing technology and can be of different types.

Incremental linear transducer

The operating principle is similar to the rotary incremental’s one, but in this case the disc is replaced by a stationary opaque strip (called "linear scale") with transparent slits along its surface. These transducers are employed in factory environments on automated operating machines, on counting, display and control systems, for “cut to length” positioning, for certain pitch displacements and, more in general, to display measures of length and thickness. 

Potentiometric linear transducer

This type of linear transducer is formed by a wire or a metal layer, winded up in a non-conductor support, and by a movable contact that shifts along the conductor. The operating principle is based on the change in resistance of an electric circuit, caused by the displacement of the object of which the position must be determined. Potentiometers are particularly suitable for the employment in thermoplastic, wood, marble, iron and steel processing machinery and for any application that requires position and motion absolute measurement.

Magnetostrictive linear transducer

Magnetostrictive transducers are based on the magnetostriction principle, for which certain materials expand and contract when they are put into an alternate magnetic field. Key factor of this technology is the absence of electric contact on the slider, which makes the device highly resistant to wear and tear while ensuring great performances in speed and precision.