Product Overview
 Proxistor is a registered trademark
Jump to: capacitive - inductive - photoelectric - ultrasonic - accessories - testers, etc - summary - custom solutions reload main catalogue page? click here
Capacitive (top of page)
Proxistor is a specialist manufacturer of capacitive switches & sensors.
M18 cable and connector versions M30 cable and connector Capacitives & 34mm Cable Custom short bodied Capacitives Smooth bodied versions in 20mm & 34mm diameter
Proxistor capacitives produce an electric field with which they detect electrically conducting or non-conducting materials, solids particles or liquids, without making contact. Target detection is not affected by colour. Almost all Proxistor capacitives feature adjustable sensitivity allowing them to be set-up to differentiate between materials or compensate for varying mounting conditions.
Whats new?click here
Typical Applications -
  • Non invasive contents detection through non metallic containers.
  • Level detection of solids, granules, powders or liquids
    • e.g. for filling applications, hopper loaders, silos, tubes, pipes, confectionery, foodstuffs, or inks.
  • Plastic materials level detection for loading systems
    • click here for examples of detection of granules, powders, regrind and particulate, through non metallic containers, in filling, hoppers & tubes.
  • Moisture content, wet spot detection.
  • Bottle counting with or without contents detection,
  • Packaging counting.
  • Band loop control, breakage indication.
  • Use as non contact switches.
We want to solve your sensing problems and will consider "specials" if our standard sensors do not provide a solution.

Standard capacitives are listed in our Web Catalogue.
Whats new?click here
Inductive (top of page)
Proxistor offers a complete range of inductive proximity switches.

All metal Proxistor inductive proximity switches of M12 and below are now Stainless Steel as standard Standard and compact M18 inductives with all round visible LEDs Compact low cost M12 inductive Proxistors in Celanex or Crastine (PBT) with good chemical resistance Compact style block inductives in DC and AC

Inductive Proxistors detect the presence of ferrous or non-ferrous metals without making contact and offer metal sensing unaffected by dirt, oil humidity & dust. This makes them particularly suitable for use in both the machine tool and general manufacturing environments where they are present in great volume and variety.

Building a new machine?

We can help, talk to us as early as possible.

Running machines?

We can help reduce machine downtime.
Many inductive proximity switches comply with the same IEC standards.
  • In practice they can often be interchangeable, especially in an emergency. We can probably supply replacements for your machinery from stock.
    For example we list twenty one (21) varieties of M12 pnp normally open inductives. We cannot claim all will be in stock when you telephone! but we will get your machinery running with one or another of them.
Plan ahead to reduce downtime:

You know one switch or another on your machines will fail at some point in the future. You cannot hold replacements for all of them.



Take a look at our handy battery powered proximity switch testers:
  • with these you can discover:
    • if your proximity switch or just the cable has been damaged?
    • if the proximity switch or power supply is faulty?
    • what electrical type the switch you want to replace is?.
Inductive proximity switches typical applications:
  • Use on conveyor systems for counting and control.
  • Detection and counting of small parts.
  • Camshaft sensing.
  • RPM. rotational direction and position sensing.
  • Can, tin or keg detection.
  • Tool and workpiece detection and positioning.
  • Motion control e.g. air or hydraulic cylinders, valve position, processing steps or feed control.
Standard inductives are listed in our Web Catalogue.
Photoelectric (top of page)
Proxistor offers photoelectric switches using visible and infrared light sources in diffuse, retro-reflective and through-beam configurations.

Industry standard G body is available as diffuse, retro-reflective or thru-beam in cable or connector versions Tough plated brass M18 diffuse unit for demanding applications Industry standard M18 units in diffuse retro-reflective and thru-beam S body in DC or AC/DC relay output types, diffuse, retro-reflective and thru-beam, diffuse with background suppression

Photoelectrics offer sensing solutions for a wide range of targets.
Each sensing method (diffuse, retro-reflective and through-beam) incorporate a light emitter and a receiver. In all but through beam types, the emitter and receiver are housed in a single sensor unit.

Using diffuse reflective types, target detection is caused by light reflection from the target itself.

For retro-reflective and through-beam types the target must cut the light beam to activate the sensor.

Typical Applications -
  • Counting and monitoring over longer distances e.g. conveyor, packaging and handling systems.
  • Bottling and canning plants.
  • Food making.
  • Sorting by height detection.
  • Controlling doors, gates and corridors.
  • WITH FIBRES ; Counting, checking and sorting of small objects.
  • Controlling and monitoring assembly operations, In areas with low/high temperatures or in the vicinity of very strong electromagnetic fields.
Standard photoelectrics are listed in our Web Catalogue
Ultrasonic (top of page)
Ultrasonics can detect many target shapes and surfaces up to a distance at which an adequate echo reaches the sensor.

M18 Ultrasonic unit features adjustable sensitivity and stainless steel housing

Ultrasonic sensors produce an inaudible sound wave which must be reflected by a target to trigger object detection.

Details in our on-line Web Catalogue
Accessories (top of page)
For users and distributors of proximity switches and sensors.

Don't waste your time making brackets, here are some we made earlier. Find details of the whole range in our Web Catalogue. These battery powered hand held proximity switch test units allow you to identify dirty sensors, test functionality on the line, reduce machine downtime by quickly identifying the source of problems. They are available to distributors as own brand items.

Proxistor accessories include:

Hand-held battery powered test units for DC or AC proximity switches.
If you work with proximity switches as a user, a supplier or while maintaining machines these testers can save your time and reduce machine downtime.

Distributors take a close look at our Hand-held Proximity Switch Testers.
These units are available Branded with YOUR phone number. Imagine, your phone number could be right there when users think of replacing their proximity switches!

You need one of these testers if you work with proximity switches.
Read the instructions for the DC tester MU2-DC to see how easy it is to use. (in English, German, French, Spanish and Italian)

With these testers you can find out....
- if your proximity switch or just the cable has been damaged,
- if the proximity switch or power supply is faulty,
- what electrical type a switch you wish to replace is.

Go straight to the datasheet page for the testers


Moulded industry standard connectors.

Mounting brackets for cylindrical threaded sensors.

We offer ready made mounting brackets for cylindrical proximity switches in a number of styles. Unless you like making brackets save time, buy them ready-made with your sensors.

(note: smooth diameter capacitives and inductives are supplied with mounting shell kits included, threaded cylindrical sensors are supplied with nuts as standard but not brackets, rectangular photoelectric sensors are supplied with mounting brackets included)

Details in our on-line Web Catalogue  
Summary information (top of page)
Proxistor switches and sensors are produced using surface mount technology in the case of capacitive sensors they are sealed into UL V0 housings with flame retardant epoxy encapsulation conforming to requirements for the type 2, double insulated, construction form.

Wide stocks are available across the range for fast shipping of your order.
Custom solutions
Product development includes electronic and mechanical engineers working to improve sensing techniques and produce custom solutions. Very often a variation on a standard Proxistor or AB Electronic device can provide a solution for a difficult application.

Proxistor & AB Electronic are part of the TT Group Plc. The group comprises many sensing companies and has a strong and varied technology base which may be put at your disposal.

So if you cannot find a sensor in our standard range to solve your sensing problem 

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