Photoelectrics now available in robust stainless steel housings

Contrinex is expanding upon its successful M18PA plastic photoelectric sensor family, which offers exceptional performance in a tiny package, only 33mm long, to add stainless-steel versions.

The new M18M photoelectric sensors offer the same proven detection ranges, shatterproof PMMA optics and resistance to washdown and process fluids, as the original M18PA family, plus more robustness for environments where mechanical shock and excessive vibration are encountered. Additionally, the technology is also offered in the new M12M photoelectric sensors, which feature chrome-plated brass M12 housings.

All of these new sensors utilise the ASIC technology of the existing diffuse, retro-reflective and through-beam of the M18PA photoelectrics. The technology of the background suppression sensor however cannot be fitted into the smaller M12 size and is therefore only available as an 18M. Contrinex says all of the devices offer industry-leading sensing distances and extremely competitive pricing.

The sensing ranges of these 33mm long sensors are

• Reflex - 7 m
• Diffuse - 1.2 m
• Background Suppression - 250 mm
• Through-beam - 30 m

The Ecolab certification on the existing plastic M18PA sensors has made them popular in process and food and beverage applications and so the new metal housed M12M and M18M sensors are about to receive their Ecolab approval.

IO-Link digital communication is provided free of charge with the PNP versions of the sensor to enable real-time access to process data and functions such as user-configurable outputs, sensitivity adjustment, event flags, dual-channel operation and sensor temperature measurement.