Velmex™ Dendrochronology System – Tree Ring Dating
The Velmex “TA” system is specifically designed for the researcher to perform non-contact measurement analysis. Since it’s introduction, the Velmex “TA” system has been the standard of North America’s Dendrological Research Community.
Since it’s introduction, the Velmex Dendrochronology system has been the standard of North America’s Dendrological Research Community. The “TA” system is successfully being used for many diverse application such as tree ring growth measurements, growth study of mollusks, ecological effects on coral, probe positioning, precision bore camera inspection, material stress analysis and other applications requiring high accuracy non-contact measuring or positioning.
The System delivers accuracy with increased durability and compactness at an affordable price.
System Components
The “TA” system consists of the following three main components:
1. UniSlide® dovetail rapid advance screw motion assembly, available in several travel lengths. Lead screw hais a metric 10 x 1 mm pitch.
2. One micron (0.001mm) resolution linear encoder integrated to the UniSlide assembly.
3. Velmex VRO™ Encoder Readout for connection to the linear encoder and interface serially to a computer for measurement recording/logging. (VRO-1B with base)
Accessories:
1. VXM-USB to RS232 Serial Cable
2. VRO-TAB2 remote reset and send remote input module
*Components sold separately
The Velmex system does not include a microscope or the specific analysis software. Velmex only provides the positioning system.
Specifications
| UniSlide® TA Measuring System Overall Specs | ||
| Travel Distance | Inches | 3" - 24" |
| Centimeters | 7.62 – 60.96 | |
| Base Length | Inches | 9" - 30" |
| Centimeters | 22.86 – 76.2 | |
| Slider Length | Inches | 6" |
| Centimeters | 15.24 | |
| Maximum Horizontal Load | lbs. | 100 |
| kg. | 45.5 | |
| Weight of UniSlide | lbs. | 6 - 13 |
| kg. | 2.7 - 5.9 | |
| Weight with Encoder | lbs. | 6.08 – 13.1 |
| kg. | 2.74 – 5.95 | |
| Width - carriage | Inches | 4" |
| Centimeters | 10.16 | |
| Width - with mounting plate | Inches | 5.25" |
| Centimeters | 13.3 | |
| Height | Inches | 1.06" |
| Centimeters | 2.69 | |
| Lead Screw | 10 x 1 mm pitch | 10 turns per centimeter 1 mm advance per revolution |
| UniSlide® TA Measuring System - Individual Model Number Specifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UniSlide Model Number | Travel | Base Length | Weight | AMO Encoder, 1um Resolution | Weight | ||||
| Inches | cm | Inches | cm | lbs. | kg. | lbs. | kg. | ||
| TA4009H1-S6 | 3" | 7.62 | 9" | 22.86 | 6 | 2.7 | ENCINDL1-03 | 0.08 | 0.04 |
| TA4012H1-S6 | 6" | 15.24 | 12" | 30.48 | 7 | 3.18 | ENCINDL1-06 | 0.08 | 0.04 |
| TA4015H1-S6 | 9" | 22.86 | 15" | 38.1 | 8 | 3.63 | ENCINDL1-09 | 0.08 | 0.04 |
| TA4018H1-S6 | 12" | 30.48 | 18" | 45.72 | 9 | 4.08 | ENCINDL1-12 | 0.08 | 0.04 |
| TA4021H1-S6 | 15" | 38.1 | 21" | 53.34 | 10 | 4.54 | ENCINDL1-15 | 0.08 | 0.04 |
| TA4024H1-S6 | 18" | 45.72 | 24" | 60.96 | 11 | 5 | ENCINDL1-18 | 0.08 | 0.04 |
| TA4027H1-S6 | 21" | 53.34 | 27" | 68.58 | 12 | 5.44 | ENCINDL1-21 | 0.08 | 0.04 |
| TA4030H1-S6 | 24" | 60.96 | 30" | 76.2 | 13 | 5.9 | ENCINDL1-24 | 0.1 | 0.045 |
UniSlide® TA Measuring System Dimensional Drawing
Options/Accessories for Velmex Tree Ring System
Accessories are available to configure a Tree Ring Measuring System to meet your specific requirements. All accessories are priced separately.
C.O.S.M.O.S.™ (Computer Optimized Stepper Motor Operating System)
Encoders
End Caps
Tab 2 Remote Send Pendant
Vinyl Bag
VRO Power Supply
VRO™ Encoder Readout
The Velmex VRO™ Encoder Readout is a compact one or two axes digital readout for linear and rotary incremental encoders.
Cable Adapters
Motor and limit cables and various adapters are available to connect select obsolete Velmex products to current Velmex products.
Encoder Cables
International Power Adapters
A variety of international-rated power adapters are available.
Power Strip
USB Serial Cable
This USB 2.0 A Male to USB 2.0 Micro B Male connects your computer to the VXC USB port.
USB to RS232 Serial Communication Cable
Applications and Examples
Note: the example displayed may be a custom configuration, designed to the customer’s specifications; and not offered as a standard product. Custom configurations could contain custom, externally-fabricated components.
TA Measuring system with UniSlide® and VRO™ set-up in a laboratory.
Paul Sheppard from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville works to date the Messiah Violin using a Velmex Petrography System.
The late Dendrochronologist Gordon Jacoby measuring tree rings with Velmex TA system.
A TA Measuring System in use dating the wood from a log cabin.
A UniSlide® TA system with the microscope mounted on a BiSlide® Side-Knob Assembly.
Here are some interesting articles that mention the use of the Velmex TA Measuring System in dating projects:
• April, 2015 - Sewanee Today - Tree Ring Date of Rebels Rest
• August, 2014 - The New Yorker - World Trade Center Ship
• National Park Service - Great Smoky Mountains - History of Fire
• April, 2006 - Vision Systems Design - Positioning systems help tree ring research
There are thousands of research articles, papers and abstracts on the internet that cite the use of the Velmex TA Measuring System in tree ring related projects and studies.
Downloads
The majority of CAD drawings found in our Technical Library are Step (.stp) files. You will also see .dxf, .dwg, .sat and .pdf files. For .STP files, you may need to right click on the download button and save the “target” or “link”. If you require a different format or cannot located the drawing you require, please contact us.
| Title | Summary | File Type | Link | hf:file_type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TA System 7-1-14 Rev C | Tree Ring Measuring System Overview | |||
| TA System Care and Use 8-15 Rev A.pdf | Instructions – Care and Use of your Velmex TA Measuring System | |||
| TA System Layout- fade.pdf | Overview of the layout of the components of a TA System | |||
| TA4030-S6 with AMO Encoder 2D mounting drawing.dwg | UniSlide Rapid Advance A40 24″ Travel, 6″ carriage, with encoder mounted | dwg | dwg | |
| TA4030-S6 with AMO Encoder 2D mounting drawing.pdf | UniSlide Rapid Advance A40 24″ Travel, 6″ carriage, with encoder mounted | |||
| TA4030H1-S6 AMO Encoder.stp | UniSlide Rapid Advance A40 24″ Travel, 6″ carriage, with encoder mounted | stp | stp |
Other Reference Links
Velmex is a manufacturer of positioning devices used to measure and count tree-rings from a cookie or core. We are not engaged in the actual science or analysis process. If you are interested in that aspect, here are some excellent resources:
University of Arizona – The Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research
Cornell University – Cornell Tree-Ring Laboratory
International Tree-Ring Data Bank
James Cook University, Australia – Tropical Dendrochronology Laboratory
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory – Tree Ring Lab
– Lamont-Doherty Tree-Ring Software (this is not a complete list) – Software
University of Nevada – Dendro Lab
Bolin Centre for Climate Research – Stockholm University
Ultimate Tree-Ring Web Pages (This site is not currently live. Because of the excellent information on the science of tree-rings, we are now linked to an archive view.) Web Site: Ultimate Tree-Ring Pages
These are just a few of the many universities and organizations that use the Velmex TA Measuring System for tree-ring research. They focus on different research areas including the study of the climate and climate change, other environmental research, dating wooden objects and structures, and other archaeological research.
Tree ring research software is available at projectj2x at www.voortech.com.
