Inductive proximity sensors are suitable for many different application areas, including security. However, where safety applications are exposed to difficult environmental conditions, such as in the food industry or on mobile machines, sensors with plastic housing reach their limits. That is why ifm is now presenting its inductive all-metal sensors for security applications and is a pioneer in this important market segment.
ifm present its new inductive proximity sensors in an all-metal housing for security applications in three sizes (M12, M18 and M30 with a housing length of 60 mm). For use on mobile machines, they are designed for a temperature range of -40 °C to +85 °C. For food applications, the temperature range is -25 °C to +100 °C. The new sensors are initially available in six different types and are suitable for applications up to SIL-2 according to IEC 61508 or up to PL d according to EN ISO 13849. The connection technology is based on the proven M12 connector.
The robust full-metal housing effectively protects the sensors against harsh environmental influences. Shocks and vibrations are also no problem. Unlike models with a plastic front, there are no problems caused by material penetration. This means that the sensors are extremely durable and failures are almost ruled out.
A typical application in the food industry is the monitoring of access openings in tanks, silos and other large containers. Access to them must be reliably monitored to prevent risks to employees. When operating mobile machines, the access openings must also be reliably monitored. This applies, for example, to waste containers in street sweepers. Another application is the monitoring of the supports of mobile cranes on trucks: the crane can only lift a load when the supports extend and lower. The new inductive proximity sensors with all-metal housing are ideal for these and many other security applications.