A new era is starting with the W4S-3 Inox wherever maximum demands are made of detection performance, ruggedness, and the cleanability of photoelectric switches in factory automation. The series earns its has a range of performance features, e.g. its unique immunity to ambient light and its excellent detection capability with highly reflective, transparent or jet-black objects. Its background suppression achieves a hitherto impossible precision due to a new type of process involving two transmission LEDs.
The particularly compact housing opens up application potentials even when mounting space is severely limited. Regarding its housing and the materials used, the W4S-3 Inox is so consistently designed for the harshest hygienic, cleaning and disinfection cycles that the requirements of IP69k are exceeded by far. At the same time, the series offers all common control and integration alternatives: via cable, teach-in or IO Link.
The W4S-3 Inox is a tested and proven combination – unique worldwide – of photoelectric switch techniques and a housing technology uncompromisingly oriented towards the demands of the processing and packaging food and beverages industries, the pharmaceutical sector, and the semiconductor and solar industries. The new W4S-3 Inox ensures dependable operation over many years of use – whether with aggressive detergents and disinfectants in filling lines, for example, the handling of sterile pharmaceutical boxes with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), or with caustic aerosols and vapours such as those present in wet-chemical processes during the production of solar cells.
W4S-3 Inox is the new reference for ruggedness.
The housing technology of the W4S-3 Inox sets a new standard regarding the materials used, construction and function-oriented design. The compact housing, only about as large as a sugar cube, allows the sensors to be integrated in machine environments offering limited mounting space. The housing is made of extremely resistant stainless steel 14435 / AISI 316L and is approved for contact with food. The indicator LEDs are flush-mounted, as is the largely seam-free, specially coated front screen. The M3 mounting holes can also be entirely sealed. The resultant smooth, all-round surface of the W4S-3 Inox is free of corners, edges and any areas where dirt or bacteria could accumulate – and therefore offers easy and reliable cleaning. Detergents and disinfectants run off slowly, allowing them to exert their full effects. The W4S-3 Inox thus offers continuous use under all familiar cleaning regimes and environmental conditions, and by far exceeds IP69k and the test processes currently in use.
Sensor high-tech inside.
The photoelectric switches and the photoelectric proximity switches both offer immunity to ambient light. The photoelectric proximity switches are not only the number one for detecting jet-black objects, but also the first sensors of their type with double pin-point transmission LEDs. Regarding pin-point: the use of this new LED technology throughout the entire series offers the advantage that the sensors generate a more focused, more homogeneous and almost laser-like light spot on target objects. This simplifies alignment and commissioning of the sensors and allows the detection of smaller objects even over longer scanning distances. The photoelectric reflex switches achieve a range of 5 m thanks to this pin-point feature – or enormously high functional reserves (e.g. with increasing dirt) if this long range is not fully exploited. The photoelectric reflex switches of the series, specially designed for transparent objects, go one step farther here. Automatic switching threshold adjustment ensures adaptation to the sensor’s "visual conditions”. The light spot generated by the pin-point LEDs of both devices is smaller than 6 mm, so that the smallest of gaps in a flow are reliably detected – even with transparent objects. In the case of the through-beam photoelectric switch of this series, the small, precise light spot means that several sensors can be mounted closely to one another without causing any mutual interference.
IO Link also inside
Regarding adjustment of the sensors, the W4S-3 Inox series offers all the alternatives for modern and comfortable operation. All important parameters can be set via a teach-in button integrated in the housing. As an alternative, parameterisation can be carried out via the connection cable, i.e. from the controller. The most innovative adjustment variant is via IO Link: here, the sensor is not only adjusted from a central point but can also transmit important functional, state or maintenance information to the controller – and thus actively contribute towards improved plant availability.
In housing, sensor and communication terms, the W4S-3 Inox meets maximum demands and is thus the most advanced series of photoelectric switches of its class.
Inox photoelectric switches are availaable from Sick .