Photoelectric sensor

How it is used

Used on conveyors, packaging lines and doors. People often call it a photo eye. You align, adjust or teach the sensor and set it to light-on or dark-on; shiny or transparent parts may need a special type.

Example sentences

1. The photoelectric sensor at the end of the conveyor counts the boxes going into the palletizer.

2. A diffuse photoelectric sensor can't see the clear bottles; use a model made for transparent objects.

Common collocations

• through-beam sensor
• retro-reflective sensor
• photo eye
• align the sensor
• the beam is blocked

Related terms

• sensorA device that detects a physical quantity or an event, such as position, distance, force, temperature or the presence of a part, and turns it into a signal a controller can read.
• proximity sensorA sensor that detects an object near it without touching it. Inductive types detect metal; capacitive types also detect plastic, wood or liquids.
• conveyorA machine that moves products or materials from one place to another on a moving belt, chain or rollers, along a line or between stations.
• light curtainA safety device with a transmitter and a receiver that create a row of invisible light beams. When a person breaks the beams, the machine is stopped.

More terms: Sensors, Motors and Actuators

• actuator
• servo motor
• encoder
• limit switch
• pneumatic cylinder
• stepper motor
• solenoid valve
• variable frequency drive