Tiny inductive proximity switch
July 2000
Sensors & Transducers
Retron
Small handling and gripping devices for very small parts require correspondingly small, light components. This applies in particular to the proximity switches used on such units. It is not just weight and overall size of a switch that is most critical - the coil size is of greatest importance. The smaller a coil, the smaller the target contours which can be sensed. It is for miniature applications that Gebhard Balluff has developed an inductive proximity switch, the XXS Series, which is just 3 mm in diameter and 27 mm long, with a sensing distance of 1 mm.
In spite of the tiny dimensions of the stainless steel housing, it is completely self-contained even including an LED for indicating the switching state. This tiny switch allows even the smallest contours to be sensed. Size and composition depend to a large degree on the speed. Balluff has set new standards with a 5 kHz switching frequency. This makes it possible to sense even very small gear teeth at high rpms. The appropriate mounting brackets are also offered. With such features, the 'dwarf in the stainless steel housing' is one of the highlights of the HXS Series.
The picture contrasts the tiny XXS sensors with a sensor whose dimensions are more familiar.
Retron
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