Photoelectric Fork sensors FC5 Series

Datasensing FC5 Series

The FC5 Series provides a highly reliable family of fork-type photo-electric sensors, designed for straight-through object detection where parts, labels or webs pass through the fork aperture. With models offering slot widths from 30 mm up to 180 mm, minimum detectable object sizes as low as 0.8 mm and switching frequencies of 4 kHz, this series delivers fast, dependable detection, easy installation, and industrial robustness.

Design & Functionality

• The sensors feature a metal housing with painted aluminium body and durable polyamide/glass optics, designed for rugged machine-side mounting and long service life. 
• Optical/operational highlights include:
  • High-power red LED emission for strong detection contrast and minimal adjustment required (“plug & play”). 
  • Minimum detectable object down to 0.8 mm, ensuring detection of very small items passing through the slot. 
  • Switching frequency up to 4 kHz and response times around 125 µs, supporting fast conveyor or high-throughput detection tasks. 
• Electrical & environmental details:
  • Supply voltage 12…24 V DC, no-load current ≤ 20 mA typical, load current ≤ 100 mA. 
  • Protection rating IP67, operating temperature from –10 °C to +60 °C. 
• Mechanical flexibility: With a variety of slot widths and depths (e.g., 30×40 mm, 50×60 mm, 120×120 mm, 180×124 mm), the FC5 series enables you to select a model tailored to your production line’s part size, throughput and clearance constraints. 

(In this context, “Total Crossed Beams” is interpreted as meaning the sensor provides full and consistent detection coverage across the fork aperture rather than literal crossed optical beams.)

• The FC5 ensures a complete detection zone across the slot. Whatever the position of the object inside the aperture, the high-power emitter and sensing electronics ensure reliable detection, reducing missed signals and improving repeatability.
• This robust detection behaviour is especially useful when parts pass unpredictably through the fork or where installation space is limited and alignment must be simplified.

Beam Pitch Options

(Here interpreted as the variant options of slot size / width / depth rather than literal beam pitch.)

• Example variant: Slot width 30 mm, depth 40 mm — minimum footprint variant detecting down to 0.8 mm. 
• Example variant: Slot width 120 mm, depth ~120-124 mm — for larger components. 
• These slot-size variants allow you to choose an FC5 model that matches your component width, conveyor spacing and detection depth — offering design flexibility.

Intrinsic Synchronism

• The emitter, detector and electronics are fully integrated within the housing — no external synchronisation or complex alignment needed — making installation simpler and quicker.
• With LED status indicators, M8 connector and simple wiring, the FC5 series supports fast commissioning, fewer manual adjustments and minimal downtime.

Operational Advantages

• Plug-and-play simplicity: The FC5 series requires no sensitivity adjustment in many models (the “without regulation” variants), making installation faster and less error-prone.
• High-speed detection for small parts: With switching up to 4 kHz and detection down to 0.8 mm, the FC5 handles small, fast-moving parts passing through the fork aperture.
• Flexible mechanical configuration: A wide range of slot widths and depths means the series fits production lines for small items (electronics, labels) to larger components (bottles, cans, assemblies).
• Industrial robustness: Metal housing, IP67 protection, red LED emission and M8 connector make the sensors suitable for machine-side mounting in packaging, automation, and conveyor systems.
• Applications: Ideal for object sensing on conveyors, label/foil detection, parts passing through a fork in packaging machines, quality control gate detection, absence/presence detection where fast throughput and compact installation are required.