General Introduction to

Proximity Switches
 Block diagram of control circuit
Error
Input
Frequently measured data
values are: Ouput
Process
data
• Temperature
• Pressure/Force
• Flow
Actuator Sensor
• Humidity
• ph-value
• Revolutions per Actual value
minute (speed)
• Position Process
computer Control
input
Display

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Advantages of Sensors
• No physical contact and therefore no stress

• No wear and tear, hence long life

• Contact less and therefore maintenance free

• Electronic high precision

• Protected and safe switching in harsh environments

• High switching rate

• bounce-free contact, thus not prone to false pulses

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Physical Principles

Inductive Capacitive Magnetic

I C B

Photoelectric Ultrasonic Microwave

? U

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 Characteristics of Inductive Proximity
Switches
• detects only conductive materials

• operation distance up to 50 mm

• switching frequency up to 5 kHz

• max. ambient temperature 200 °C

• max. protection class IP 68

• high noise immunity

• in acc. to EN 50227 (NAMUR) possible

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 Characteristics of Capacitive
Proximity Switches
• detects every type of material (conductive, non conductive, solids, fluids, ...)

• operation distance up to 50 mm

• switching frequency max. 100 Hz

• max. ambient temperature 70 °C

• max. protection class IP 67

• in acc. to EN 50227 (NAMUR) possible

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 Characteristics of Magnetic Proximity
Switches
• detects only magnetic objects

• operation distance up to 60 mm

• switching frequency up to 1 kHz

• max. ambient temperature 70 °C

• max. protection class IP 67

• high noise immunity

• in acc. to EN 50227 (NAMUR) possible

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 Characteristics of Photoelectric
Proximity Switches
• three different operation principles
• thru beam (receiver and transmitter in two housings)
• reflective (receiver/transmitter in one housing, retro reflector is necessary)
• diffuse reflective
• detects, depending on the operation principle, light reflecting or non
transparent materials
• possibility to connect fiber optic
• operation distance up to 100 m
• switching frequency up to 1.5 kHz
• max. ambient temperature 300 °C (with fiber optic only)
• max. protection class IP 67
• detects smallest objects (depending on the diameter of the fiber optic)
• in acc. to EN 50227 (NAMUR) possible

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 Characteristics of Ultrasonic
Proximity Switches
• detects objects which reflect or absorb sound

• operation distance up to 12 m

• reaction time > 50 ms

• max ambient temperature 70 °C

• max. protection class IP 67

• lower noise immunity

• not sensitve to dirt

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Characteristics of Microwave
Proximity Switches

• detects conductive and not conductive materials

• operation distance up to 30 m

• very expensive

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