The new W15 from SICK is a special kind of miniature photoelectric sensor. The latest sensor and evaluation technologies from SICK meet a highly installation-friendly housing design that is common in the US market. Small wonder that the “transatlantic sensor concept” goes down well in Europe, too.
Due to its “USA design,” the series is interesting both for machine constructors active on the American market and for end customers that operate facilities “made in the USA” and are, if required, able to switch quickly to the W15, which is compatible with respect to mounting and connecting. However, for “European-oriented” clients, too, the W15 is very interesting, considering the elegant mounting options that offer benefits specifically in warehousing and handling systems.
The BGS photoelectric proximity sensor is the star of the series
The W15 is a complete production series. All of the devices share an IP67 enclosure rating. The remarkable thing is that besides the usual complementary output configuration, a bipolar output configuration, i.e. PNP and NPN function in one device, is possible as well. The WSE15 through-beam photoelectric sensor and the WL15 photoelectric reflex sensor alike offer ranges of up to 5 m. Both devices generate a sharp light spot that facilitates alignment of the sensor considerably. The energetic photoelectric proximity sensor convinces with a scanning distance of 350 mm.
The highlight of the series, however, is the WTB15 BGS photoelectric proximity sensor. The sensor combines PinPoint technology with innovative chip technology that involves more than a dozen receiving elements, allowing not only precise and stable background suppression and suppression of extraneous light but also electronic and drift-free adjustment of the scanning range. Object detection occurs independent of colour and surface properties, which means that no sensor readjustments are necessary.
Maximum possibilities for installation
Featuring three different installation options, the W15 series of proximity sensors leaves hardly anything to be desired. On the one hand, the proximity sensors can be mounted by means of side mounting using the lateral through holes in the housing. In addition, the sensors’ M18 threads offer the possibility of front mounting by means of plastic nut or – particularly elegant – by means of snap-ring. The latter option permits the proximity sensor to be installed flush and blind zone-free, for example, on the lateral guide rail of a roller conveyor, thus allowing object detection at close range without the sensor impeding the material flow on the conveyor system.
Unobstructed view of the sensor status
Independent of the respective installation situation, the W15 proximity sensors provide an unobstructed view of the power and status display: on the one hand, from above directly on to the indicator LEDs; on the other hand, from behind through the transparent back cover of the device.