SICK (www.sickusa.com), one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sensors, safety systems, machine vision, and automatic identification products for factory and logistics automation, today announced the launch of its IP 69K-rated W12-3 Photoelectric Sensors for harsh wash down environments. These sensors use SICK’s third generation custom ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) that incorporates OES3 technology to provide exceptional background and foreground suppression at an extended range. The OES3 chip contains proprietary technology that enables the W12-3 to ignore stray background reflections, detect multi-colored/shiny objects, and provide high immunity to ambient light.
The W12-3 is the newest high-performance sensor in the W12 Photoelectric Sensor Family. Both non-programmable and potentiometer versions of the W12-3 feature an IP 69K-rated metal housing (made of die cast zinc) that enables the sensor to withstand harsh cleaning agents in food and beverage, packaging and pharmaceutical environments. In addition, the W12-3 offers multiple mounting options (dovetail base and back mount, flanged-base through hole, diagonal through holes) and a 270° rotatable connection for flexible installation.