Optical sensors

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Impermeability

Systems and the sensors installed in them are very often cleaned with high-pressure cleaners. Sensors are constantly exposed to moisture and humidity due to the high number of cleaning cycles.

• Absolutely sealed housing
• Diffusion-tight materials for optical covers and operating elements
• protection classes IP 67, IP 68 and IP 69K

Chemical requirements

Regular cleaning cycles with foam cleaners, disinfectants, alkaline or basic cleaners require resistant sensors.

• ECOLAB certification
• Diversey certification
• Clean Proof+-certification

Thermal requirements

Strong temperature fluctuations between ambient temperature and cleaning temperature put a high load on sensors.

• Sensor tests in the climate cabinet
• Thermal shock tests (water bath hot-cold)
• Steam jet test as part of the IP 69K approval
• Temperature ranges from -40 °C to +70 °C

Mechanical resistance

In harsh production environments, sensors are exposed to dust, shavings, vibrations and other mechanical stresses.

• Absolutely sealed housing
• Robust housing: no additional housing necessary
• Vibration and shock resistance

In demanding environments, not only the sensors but also the connection cables, mounting parts and reflectors must meet the high requirements. Our connection cables are approved for direct contact with food (FDA-compliant materials). The cables achieve the IP 69K degree of protection and thus withstand intensive cleaning processes with high-pressure cleaners (important: must be installed with a special tightening torque). ECOLAB certification confirms the cables' resistance to aggressive cleaning agents. The cable portfolio for use in hygienically demanding industrial areas includes M8 and M12 as well as cable lengths of 2, 5 and 10 meters.

Detection of boxes in food conveyor technology

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Detection of products through a film

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Solution:

The LS35CI.XXR super power through-beam photoelectric sensor radiates even metallized films and reliably detects the front edges of the objects inside. This ensures that the seal is always applied in the correct place. The stainless steel sensors are completely watertight and certified according to ECOLAB, Diversey and CleanProof+.

Detecting interrupted objects

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Detection of unpackaged products on conveyor belts

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The DRT35C dynamic reference sensor detects any products by using the conveyor belt as a reference. The sensor, with a high-quality stainless steel housing with smooth surfaces (typical value ≤ 0.8 Ra), is the perfect solution for mounting above open food. Thanks to the stainless steel housing, no additional sensor enclosure is required.

Detection of unpackaged baked goods on the conveyor belt

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Solution:

The PRK 35C photoelectric reflex switch is designed for this detection task and also reliably detects shiny objects. The high-quality stainless steel housing is robust against mechanical loads and withstands intensive cleaning cycles.

Detecting bottles in an aseptic filling system

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Solution:

The PRK33C.PPTT3 photoelectric reflex switch has been developed for the detection of transparent objects. The stainless steel sensor in hygienic design is an optimal choice for the detection of transparent bottles in aseptic filling and for other sterile production environments in the food and pharmaceutical industry. A particularly smooth housing without mounting holes prevents deposits. The sensor is mounted gas-tight using a mounting spigot.

Detecting the carton feed

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Solution:

The precisely adjustable HT 35C.PP light scanners with background suppression are optimally suited for the position and presence check. The Power PinPoint LED technology ensures a high level of precision in stack detection: The size of the homogeneous light spot is constant over the entire operating range of the sensor.

Presence check for controlling the gripper robot in the automotive industry

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Solution:

The PRK35C retro-reflective photoelectric sensors with Power PinPoint LED feature a high function reserve and easy commissioning. They also detect shiny objects very reliably. Robust stainless steel sensors are an optimal choice in this harsh production environment.

Presence control

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The LS35C through-beam photoelectric switch with Power PinPoint LED ensures precise detection of the metal plates. The rugged and shock-resistant stainless steel housing is particularly resistant to the harsh environmental conditions in the metal industry and to mechanical loads.

Your benefit

• Flexible use: Full range of products with all functional principles, each in identical and mounting-compatible housings. You can choose between throughbeam photoelectric sensors, retro-reflective photoelectric sensors and diffuse reflection photoelectric sensors to suit the respective application
• Housing: New, more compact housing (dimensions W x H x L: 11mm x 32.4mm x 20mm) – mounting compatible with predecessor series – ideal for confined installation situations. With protection rating IP 67 and ECOLAB certified
• Mounting and installation: Fast mounting and easy installation thanks to metal inserts with M3 thread
• Commissioning: 360° visible display LEDs for easy installation and status display. Fast alignment through homogeneous and highly visible light spot
• Optimal configuration: Simple adjustment and adaptation to the application through user-friendly potentiometer
• Reliable detection of depolarizing objects: Optimized performance for the detection of reflective, shrink-wrapped, and shiny objects
• Electrical connection: Adaptation to individual customer requirements through various connection options (e.g., cable, M8 plug, pigtail, etc.)
• Switching frequency: Improved switching frequency of up to 900 Hz for throughbeam photoelectric sensors and up to 1,000 Hz for photoelectric proximity sensors for high performance and function reserve
• Tamper-proof: Light/dark switching is tamper-proof via the polarity reversal of the (cable) wiring

Presence checking in the area of intralogistics with retro-reflective photoelectric sensor

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Presence control in the area of packaging technology with a throughbeam photoelectric sensor

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Presence checking in intralogistics with a photoelectric proximity switch

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Detection of a film tear in battery cell production with a photoelectric proximity switch

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Your benefit

• Two full series with all operating principles: Throughbeam photoelectric sensors, retro-reflective photoelectric sensors and scanners for specific areas of application and tasks
• 2 housing designs for use in wet areas (wash-down) and hygienic areas (hygienic design)
• High-quality V4A (AISI 316L) stainless steel housing with smooth surface and glass-free optics cover made of PMMA+ with special scratch-resistant coating to prevent bacterial carryover
• IP69K rating for reliable functionality and absolute tightness of the housing
• Thermal and chemical resistance (tested and certified according to ECOLAB, CleanProof+, JohnsonDiversey)
• FDA-compliant housing materials enable the sensor to be used in applications with direct food contact
• Simple configuration and condition monitoring through IO-Link interface, as well as variants with electronic scanning range adjustment and measured value output via IO-Link

Go directly to product selection 53C series

Go directly to product selection 55C series

Monitoring the loading of a sausage slicer

Requirement:

In the food industry, sausage is delivered in large bars and sliced into fine slices in a slicing machine. The product in the machine feed must be reliably detected so that the gripper can push the material evenly towards the blade and all the cut slices have the required thickness.

Solution:

Our HT53C.S photoelectric proximity switch in hygienic design reliably monitors the product feed to the sausage cutting machine. If there is enough material for the machine to operate, the system starts up automatically. The particularly small light spot is characterized by excellent performance, especially with objects of different colors, while the sensor's background suppression ensures reliable color-independent product detection.

Detecting the front edge of products being cut

Requirement:

In an industrial cutting machine, products are cut into small stacks and pre-portioned into trays for later packaging. The challenge for the sensor system is that the front edge of the sliced goods must be reliably detected at the same switching point, regardless of whether they are on the conveyor belt with a slight lateral offset. The sensors are mounted directly above the conveyor belt. In this application, it must be ensured that no cleaning agent residues drip onto the cheese or the sliced goods.

Solution:

The HT53CL1.X photoelectric proximity switch with background suppression is optimized for detecting the front edges of products with a long laser light spot. Thanks to the line light spot, sliced products are reliably detected at the same switching point even if they are offset to the side on the conveyor belt. This ensures that the cut goods are neatly positioned when loaded into the tray packaging and ensures that the edge of the tray does not come into contact with the food and that traces of grease do not affect the subsequent hygienic welding of the tray. The 53C series housing is designed without drill holes for hygienic applications and is suitable for areas of application with direct food contact.

Fill level detection when bottling liquids

Requirement:

In the beverage industry, a filler is used to fill water into 3-liter bottles. The fill level must be exactly the same for all bottles – underfilling must be prevented. Reliably detecting the fill level of aqueous liquids in any container is one of the most challenging detection tasks for sensors and requires particularly powerful sensor solutions.

Solution:

The LS55C.H2O and LE55C.H2O through-beam photoelectric sensors have been developed for detecting aqueous liquids and for fill level control, and reliably stop the filling process. The 55C Series stainless steel transmitter and receiver system in a wash-down design has a high transmission capacity and can also be used with colored containers and containers with plastic labels.
This solution can replace an expensive filling control system, such as a scale or a flow meter, and is easy to set up: No further settings are required via a control element other than the exact alignment of the optical axis.

Presence checking in bottle filling in the transfer star

Requirement:

Bottle filling is characterized by very high speeds. To ensure a smooth process, it must be ensured before filling that all positions of the transfer star are occupied by bottles.

Solution:

The HT55C photoelectric proximity switch with background suppression detects containers in the bottle filling reliably and without a reflector. The sensors are designed for wet areas and can withstand intensive cleaning processes. ECOLAB certification and our extended CleanProof+ cleaning agent long-term test ensure the reliable functionality of the sensor even under harsh conditions.

Bottle detection during transport

Requirement:

In a filling plant for milk bottles, the position of the bottles on the conveyor belt must be reliably and precisely detected for the further packaging steps in the plant.

Solution:

The PRK55C.TT3 retro-reflective photoelectric sensor also reliably detects transparent containers. The sensitivity can be set using the teach button. An integrated tracking function automatically compensates for soiling on the reflector or sensor. This extends the cleaning intervals and reduces system downtime. The stainless steel housing in a wash-down design with the highest degree of protection, IP69K, is very robust. Resistance to the cleaning agents commonly used in the market is confirmed by ECOLAB certification, the Leuze CleanProof+-Test and tests according to JohnsonDiversey.

Precise positioning of vials

Requirement:

Vials made of transparent glass must be precisely detected and positioned for the filling of vaccines and other liquids.

Solution:

The retro-reflective photoelectric sensor PRK53CL1.T3 with a small laser light spot, in combination with a small stainless steel reflector, enables highly precise detection and positioning of vials. The sensor in its miniature housing can be easily integrated even in confined spaces. Both the sensor and the reflector are designed for hygienic applications.

Detection and positioning of transparent vials

Requirement:

In a pharmaceutical packaging plant, vials are filled on multi-track packaging lines. The position of the transparent vials must be precisely detected before filling. One challenge is that the vials are very flat and the photoelectric sensor must aim precisely at the reflector.

Solution:

Our 53C series PRK53C.T3 retro-reflective photoelectric sensors are used in this application with MTKS 14x23.P pharmaceutical micro triple reflectors specially developed for the pharmaceutical industry. The hygienically designed stainless steel sensors precisely target the reflector and ensure reliable detection of the vials.

Your benefit

• Very high ranges lead to a large performance reserve and thus to a reliable detection rate even in critical applications
• Availability with your preferred operating principle:
  • Scanners with background suppression with a max. range of 2500 mm
  • Retro-reflective photoelectric sensors with max. 17 m range (optionally also for detecting objects with depolarizing properties)
  • Throughbeam photoelectric sensors with max. 80 m range
• Excellent price-performance ratio
• Support of all common switching logics: NPN and PNP switching end, light and dark switching
• High connection diversity allows for easy integration (cable, M12 connector or cable with M12 plug)
• Mounting compatibility with 46 series sensors

Detection of film-wrapped pallets

Requirement:

Pallets are often wrapped in film for transport security. Conventional photoelectric sensors cannot reliably detect these due to the depolarizing properties of the stretched film. Since this type of transport securing is widespread, the sensor should detect these special objects with absolute reliability. At the same time, an economical sensor solution must be found so that this application can be scaled.

Solution:

The new PRK36.D retro-reflective photoelectric sensor has special optics for detecting depolarizing objects with absolute reliability. An improved design offers a cost advantage over sensors currently on the market.

Detection of outer packaging in the food industry

Requirement:

In the food industry, identical products are usually combined into larger packages in order to optimize and automate handling and logistics processes. An important prerequisite for a high degree of automation is the use of high-performance sensors that reliably detect packages, even when the products or outer packaging change. A large number of economically attractive sensors are needed to closely monitor these processes.

Solution:

With our new 36 series, we offer photoelectric retro-reflective sensors that reliably detect different packaging due to their very high function reserve. An improved design offers a cost advantage over sensors currently on the market.

Securing material availability in manufacturing systems

Requirement:

Highly automated manufacturing systems require a high level of process reliability on the one hand, while ensuring material availability and material replenishment are of essential importance on the other. Sensor technology that reliably ensures the presence and thus the stock of different assembly materials is the key component here. At the same time, sensors must be flexibly integrated in different installation situations.

Solution:

Our new 36 series sensor portfolio is particularly well suited for detecting a wide range of objects in production systems and thus for assessing the presence or absence of assembly material due to the different operating principles, the variance in light color and the very high detection rate. A wide range of mounting options and connection variants allow for easy integration. The excellent price-performance ratio enables scaling in large and complex manufacturing systems.