Acids, alkalis’ and detergents, as well as high pressures and temperature shocks, place extreme demands on sensors and connection technology in high-hygiene areas at food producers and beverage fillers. The result: limited service lives for many sensors. The alternative: the sensor solution package from SICK.

In wet areas at food producers and beverage fillers, conditions are harsher than elsewhere: pressures of 2 - 100 bar, high temperatures, acids, alkalis and detergents have a major impact on some sensors and some signals. On the other hand, the “Food & Beverages” sensor solution from SICK has no weak points: the inductive proximity switch, the plug and the sensor distributor box are designed to comply with IP69K. The materials used - V4A 1.4404 stainless steel and PVC - meet the requirements for sensors and connection technology in wet areas. Long SICK sensor services lives and reliable signal transmission are the result.

The sensor package in detail
IM12, IM18 and IM30 type inductive sensors are used for the detection of metallic objects in a variety of applications. These sensors’ special highlights are the three-fold switching distance and the fully encapsulated stainless steel housing. With a reduction factor of up to 0.9, very good detection of stainless steel and steel objects up to 1.3 can be achieved. The distributor boxes and plugs are designed in V4A (1.4404) and all comply with an enclosure rating of IP 69K.

Efficient in the food sector
The “Food and Beverages” solution is part of a comprehensive range of sensors from SICK for the food and beverages industries. These include capacitive proximity switches of the CM series and W 4 photoelectric switches with Teflon encapsulation, as well as photoelectric switches of the W12 series in Teflon housings that are specially adapted for glass detection. When safety technology is required for wet areas, type C 2000 and C 4000 light grids in IP 67 housings, for example, offer continuous protection for machine operators - as shown by their use during cheese production or on meat-shaping presses.