We have thousands of photoelectric sensors in our extensive collection. All items come from leading manufacturers, so you can be confident you're getting high-quality products you can rely on.

Make finding the right photoelectric sensor as straightforward as possible by using our advanced filters. With these, you can search by sensing mode, measurement range, supply voltage, and many more features, giving you a personalized list of results to choose from.

Learn more about the different types of photoelectric sensors and choose the right one from our range. You can also get in touch with us directly if you have any questions about our products and our team will be happy to assist you.

What are photoelectric sensors used for?

Photoelectric detectors are useful for measuring the distance to, or the presence of, an object. This is done by emitting a light signal and interpreting information about what happened via a receiver.

They are used in many industries, including:

Food and beverage: Photoelectric sensors are great for assessing bottled beverages in production. They can detect if there is enough liquid in the bottle before it leaves the factory.
Pharmaceutical industry: This industry uses photoelectric sensing to detect if there is the right number of tablets in containers.
Automotive industry: Car manufacturers will need to stop parts from moving along the assembly line so they can be worked upon. The photoelectric sensor can detect when they are in the right place and bring the conveyer belt to a stop.

What are the different photoelectric sensor types?

Through-beam photoelectric sensors

Through-beam photoelectric sensors have separate housings for the transmitter and receiver. The transmitter emits a continuous beam of light to the receiver and objects are detected when they interrupt it.

One of their most common uses is measuring how full a product container is.

Retroreflective photoelectric sensors

Retroreflective sensors have the transmitter and receiver in the same housing, so require a reflector to bounce a light beam back until an object interrupts it.

Polarizing filters may be required when working with reflective materials so as not to confuse the sensor. This solution is used on assembly lines when robotic arms need precise placements to grab items.

Diffuse photoelectric sensors

Diffuse photoelectric sensors also rely on reflective principles and have the transmitter and receiver in the same housing. These sensors detect items by sending out a continuous beam of light. Should an object then block the light, the sensor will be able to detect it based on the amount of light reflected to its receiver.

The sensing range can also be adjusted, which gives it a large range of applications. The most common, however, is detecting objects on conveyor systems in manufacturing.

What are the benefits of using photoelectric detectors?

As you can see, these devices open a huge amount of detecting possibilities. When you invest in the right one, you'll also benefit from the following:

Various materials: With so many materials capable of being detected, you can depend on them for most projects.
Long sensing range: Due to the high-powered nature of photoelectric sensors, they don't need to be close for detection to occur.
Non-contact detection: All detection is done without the sensor ever coming into contact with the object.

Why buy photoelectric sensors from RS?

We've got long-standing relationships with leading manufacturers in the technology sector and stock photoelectric sensors from the likes of SICK and Omron Automation.

We offer swift delivery services, with many of our products available with same-day dispatch from our technologically advanced distribution center in Texas, keeping your downtime to a minimum.

Need some help finding the right product? Our team is on hand to help. Contact us today and we'll do our best to assist you. Don't forget to also check out our expert hub for industry updates and guidance for the technology and automation sectors.