Miniaturization

Inductive mini-sensors guarantee position sensing in rough environments and in the tightest of spaces. This is because their electronics are fully integrated, making external amplifiers unnecessary.

Their low weight of 0.7 g permits applications with extreme accelerations. Pick-and-Place is easy to achieve as a result.

Inductive mini-sensors from Balluff are easy to install and can also be fully integrated into slim assemblies. As a result, using them for position sensing is possible where there had never been space for a sensor before. And assemblies can be further reduced in size.

Miniaturization and slender designs

Balluff provides mini-sensors with particularly small diameters: 3 mm, 4 mm and 5 mm. With a housing length of only 6 mm, our compact mini-sensors are the shortest inductive sensors on the market.

The features

• Position sensing in rough environments, in the tightest of spaces
• The most compact mini-sensors on the market: can be fully integrated
• Low weight for extreme accelerations
• Unsurpassedly slender and unbeatably short
• Optimal price/performance ratio

Photoelectric mini-sensors from Balluff are the right choice if small parts need to be detected in limited space with precision and long ranges are important. This is because they work absolutely reliably from less than one millimeter to distances of up to three meters.

With their wide range of product variants, they are a reliable solution to all applications and offer a great degree of freedom in design.

Advanced laser technology, homogeneous red light or innovative pinpoint technology stand for high process accuracy. Diffuse sensors with background suppression reliably eliminate interfering influences.

And our photoelectric mini-sensors are extremely easy to operate.

The features

• Long ranges: up to 3 m
• Large range of product variants
• High process accuracy
• Easy to operate

Capacitive mini-sensors are the right choice for measurement in difficult environments where dust, reflections or the properties and color of an object can influence the result.

They monitor stack heights and detect solids and liquids with extreme precision. They can sense through glass or plastic container walls up to 4 mm thick or in direct contact with the media.

Fine adjustment of the capacitive mini-sensors is easily performed by means of a separate sensor amplifier.

A Teflon® sensing surface makes them particularly resistant and their robust stainless steel housing makes use under difficult conditions possible as well.

Due to the flat disk design, they require particularly little space and offer a large switching distance.

The features

• Extended switching distance
• For difficult conditions: Rugged stainless steel housing
• Very robust thanks to active surface made of Teflon®
• Suitable for all materials
• Simple remote adjustment via separate capacitive sensor amplifier
• Precise measurement through container walls up to 4 mm thick or in direct contact

Balluff offers ideal solutions for reliable and wear-free position detection for short-stroke cylinders and mini-grippers. Our mini-cylinder switches are especially short and are among the smallest on the market. They have a highly accurate switch point thereby guaranteeing maximum sensor precision, even over short switching distances.

Magnetic mini-cylinder sensors increase the functional reliability and improve machine availability. And universal use is guaranteed with only a few different types.

Special designs for C- and T-slots, which can also be installed from above, are available to you.

The features

• Reliable, wear-free position detection on all pneumatic cylinders
• Universal use guaranteed with only a few different types
• Increased functional reliability, higher machine availability
• Special designs for C- and T-slots that can also be installed from above

Our small ultrasonic sensors in a cuboid housing operate with a particularly high resolution and thereby deliver convincing performance with accuracy.

For challenging measurement tasks, BUS R06K1..02/007 and BUS R06K1..02/015 can additionally be equipped with a sound transmission attachment. This makes measurements in bore holes and openings having diameters greater than 5 mm possible.

The BUS R06K1..02/015 impresses with a short delay time and high switching frequency of 125 Hz. It is thus ideally suited for reliably detecting fast processes.

The simultaneous operation of up to ten sensors in the tightest of spaces is also possible with our ultrasonic sensors. This is because the series has a synchronization input. The wide range of variants with switching output or with current or voltage analog output in five operating scanning ranges make the sensor family suitable for nearly limitless applications.

The features

• High resolution, high accuracy
• Measuring range 20 mm...1 m
• Simultaneous operation of up to ten sensors in the tightest of spaces through synchronization input
• Five operating scanning ranges
• Nearly limitless applications

Inaccuracy and tolerance shifts have a negative effect on production quality. Direct measuring systems solve this problem. They detect the current position directly on the carriage or the load support.

The magnetically encoded BML-S1H position measurement system from Balluff measures highly dynamic applications exactly and absolutely. And it operates without contact and is therefore non-wearing. External factors such as dirt or temperature do not pose a problem.

With its unbeatably small sensor head, the system is ideal for linear guides, pick-and-place applications, drive feedback or vibration welding.

The features

• High system accuracy and resolution
• Can be mounted parallel or perpendicular to tape
• Tiny design in a robust metal housing
• Contact-free and therefore wear-free
• Unbeatably small sensor head

BIS M Industrial RFID is available for transfer systems. Its compact components guarantee high data security. They are easy to install, and their data carriers can be installed flush in steel.

Compact corner data carriers, thin pill-shape data carriers and slim rod data carriers offer users great flexibility. Antennas with remote electronics enable use even in constricted conditions.

The features

• Compact data carrier
• Unbeatably small antenna designs for particularly constricted conditions
• Fast data communication, high data security
• High flexibility

In addition to mini-sensors, slim assemblies require connection technology in compact and high-performance designs. This is because only in this way can the design freedom and flexibility of the mini-sensors truly be exploited.

Balluff offers efficient and cost-effective solutions in the form of mini-masters, space-saving passive splitters and small valve terminal connectors in IO-Link designs.

IO-Link reduces the work and expense associated with wiring, testing and hardware. With simple, unshielded and economical standard cables, you can install mini-sensors quickly and cost-effectively. Mini-sensors are also quickly and reliably configured through IO-Link connection technology via the controller.

Continuous diagnostics ensure that your systems operate reliably because they facilitate timely maintenance.

The features

• Efficient and economical
• Reduced work and expense associated with wiring, testing and hardware
• Fast and low-cost installation of mini-sensors
• Fast and reliable configuration via the controller
• Reliable system operation through continuous diagnostics

The inductive IO-Link coupler from Balluff in the compact 40x40 housing is ideal for robotics. It combines rapid format changes, freedom of wear and great flexibility.

Mechanical plug connections are rendered superfluous with inductive couplers because they transfer these signals without contact.

The IO-Link interface of the compact inductive coupler makes installation extremely simple. This is because IO-Link is quickly wired.

The features

• Contact-free, absolutely reliable signal transfer
• No mechanical wear, thus maintenance free
• Best signal quality
• Rapid format changes
• Simple installation thanks to IO-Link interface