Product News -  Housing-Adaptive Position Sensor Mounts On A Variety OfPneumatic Cylinders

Housing-Adaptive Position Sensor Mounts On A Variety Of Pneumatic Cylinders

The 305K is said to be the industry's first housing-adaptive magnetic field sensor for external-mount position sensing on pneumatic cylinders.

According to the manufacturer, Balluff, the slot along the length of most cylinder housings has a different size and geometry, and the 305K is designed to mount within virtually any profile without drilling or other modification. It is said to eliminate the need for cylinder-specific sensors so end-of-stroke sensing can be performed on a variety of housing shapes.

Unit is claimed to offer non-contact, wear-free external detection of piston position in pneumatic cylinders, with triggering provided by a piston-mounted magnetic ring. It eliminates the contact points and 'bounce' of reed switches, providing a positive signal to the control at the fastest piston speeds.

The 305K is made up of the manufacturer's BMF 305 magnetic field sensor and slot-adaptive mount. The mount is positioned within the slot along the length of the cylinder housing. A few turns of a screw expand the mount within the slot to hold it in place. The BMF 305 magnetic field switch then attaches to the mount with an additional screw. The modular design permits easy sensor removal and replacement without readjustment because the mount remains fixed to the cylinder.

Unit is sealed to IP65 and is available in two-wire ac/dc with short-circuit protection or in three-wire dc. It is programmable for PNP or NPN operation and can be ordered with a fixed 200 mm or 5 m polyurethane cable or S49 connector. Prices start at $100.

Balluff Inc.
Florence, KY