Capacitive Proximity Switch

Like inductive sensors, capacitive sensors function without physical contact with the target material. Capacitive sensors allow for the detection of both, conductive and non-conductive materials, but are most commonly used for sensing materials such as plastics, liquids, powders and granular materials.
In applications utilizing capacitive technology the sensitivity of capacitive proximity switches is dependent on the material characteristics of the target object. This material characteristic of the metal, plastic or liquid object will influence the sensing range and therefore the output detection point of the capacitive sensor. To allow for this variation in material characteristics Pepperl+Fuchs offers many models with adjustable sensitivity to allow for more flexibility in applying these sensors to your application.
These capacitive sensor products offer an alternative technology for use in applications where the use of inductive sensors may not be possible.