E3RA-DN13 2M micro photo sensor
- time:2025-10-09 11:21:56
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The E3RA-DN13 2M Micro Photo Sensor: Precision Long-Range Detection in a Compact Package
Imagine needing pinpoint accuracy for detecting objects or measuring distances in tight spaces, but requiring reliable performance over a surprising 2-meter range. Sounds challenging? This is precisely the niche where the E3RA-DN13 2M Micro Photo Sensor excels. This sophisticated component represents a significant advancement in photoelectric sensing technology, masterfully blending extended reach with a remarkably small footprint, essential for modern industrial automation and intricate machinery.
Understanding the Essence: A Micro Sensor with Macro Capabilities
At its core, the E3RA-DN13 is a Фотоэлектрический датчик. These ubiquitous devices work on a simple yet powerful principle: they emit a beam of light (visible or infrared) and detect changes in that beam caused by the presence, absence, or characteristics of a target object. Variations occur based on the detection method (through-beam, retro-reflective, diffuse reflective), but the fundamental concept remains.
What sets the E3RA-DN13 apart is the specific combination of attributes highlighted in its name:

- Micro: This designation signifies an exceptionally compact design. Space is often at a premium on production lines, within machinery housings, or on robotic arms. Micro sensors like the E3RA-DN13 provide the essential sensing function without monopolizing valuable real estate, enabling installation in locations where larger sensors simply wouldn’t fit. This miniaturization is a testament to advanced engineering and manufacturing.
- Photo Sensor: Confirms its reliance on light-based detection, offering inherent advantages like non-contact operation (preventing wear and tear), very high switching speeds suitable for fast-moving processes, and the ability to detect a wide variety of materials (metals, plastics, glass, liquids – anything that affects the light beam).
- 2M: This is the game-changer. It indicates an impressive sensing range of 2 meters (approximately 6.5 feet). Achieving reliable long-range detection is inherently difficult. Light beams diverge over distance, losing intensity and making consistent detection challenging, especially with small targets or in environments with background interference. The E3RA-DN13 overcomes these hurdles, providing stable operation across its full specified range. This long reach opens up applications previously requiring much larger or more complex sensing solutions.
- E3RA-DN13: This is the specific model identifier. It references a particular series (E3RA) and variant (DN13), implying specific electrical characteristics (like voltage ratings, output type - PNP/NPN), housing material (often resin or metal for durability), beam type (visible red, infrared), and connection method (pre-wired cable or connector). This precise coding is crucial for engineers and technicians selecting the exact sensor needed for their application.
Why the E3RA-DN13 2M Micro Photo Sensor Stands Out
The convergence of micro size and 2-meter range creates a unique and highly valuable proposition:
- Long-Range Performance in Tight Spaces: This is the defining benefit. Installations requiring detection over a meter or two, but constrained by physical size limitations, are ideal candidates. Think of verifying pallet presence on deep conveyor racks, detecting objects moving on parallel lines, monitoring wide entry/exit points with minimal mounting space, or checking material levels deep within a bin or chute.
- Enhanced Design Flexibility: Equipment designers gain immense freedom. The sensor’s compactness allows it to be integrated into smaller assemblies, mounted on moving parts with less weight penalty, or positioned optimally for the best detection angle without worrying about bulk. This flexibility accelerates design and simplifies machine layouts.
- Reliable Detection at Distance: Overcoming the natural dispersion of light over 2 meters requires sophisticated optical design and high-quality components. The E3RA-DN13 is engineered to maintain a stable, detectable beam, ensuring consistent object recognition whether the target is close to the sensor or at the far end of its range, minimizing false triggers or missed detections – a critical factor for process reliability and quality control.
- Robustness for Industrial Use: Despite its small size, a micro sensor like the E3RA-DN13 is built for demanding environments. Expect features like resistance to ambient light interference, stable performance across temperature variations, and durable housing materials capable of withstanding vibrations, minor impacts, and exposure to dust or moisture common in manufacturing settings.
Key Applications Leveraging the E3RA-DN13’s Strengths
The unique capabilities of this sensor make it invaluable across diverse sectors:
- Factory Automation & Packaging: Verifying the presence/absence of products or packaging components on wide conveyors, counting items passing through a large gate, detecting jam conditions over long spans, ensuring carton flaps are properly folded on large packaging machines, confirming pallet positioning before wrapping or storage. Its small size allows mounting directly on moving gantries or robotic end-effectors.
- Material Handling & Logistics: Monitoring pallet loading/unloading on extended rollers or AGV pathways, detecting oversized items on sorting lines, confirming container positioning in automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), sensing the presence of totes on deep shelving units.
- Access Control & Security: While not its primary industrial focus, the principle applies. It could be used in configurations for non-contact triggering over sizeable doorways or access points where a discreet sensor is preferred.
- Printing & Paper Processing: Detecting web breaks or verifying paper/board presence on wide-format printing presses or converting equipment where sensors need to reach the center of large rollers or spans.
- Automotive Manufacturing: Monitoring component placement on large assembly fixtures, verifying door or panel positioning during robotic handling, detecting vehicles or large assemblies moving through process stages.
Integrating a Long-Range Micro Photo Sensor
For optimal performance, consider these points when deploying the E3RA-DN13 2M Micro Photo Sensor:
- Detection Mode: Confirm the most suitable mode. Through-beam (separate emitter/receiver) offers the longest range and highest reliability but requires mounting on both sides. Retro-reflective (single unit with a reflector) simplifies wiring and alignment over long distances. Diffuse reflective (detects light bounced off the target) has shorter effective range but requires only one-sided mounting.
- Target Characteristics: Size, color, material, and surface finish (shiny vs. matte) impact performance, especially at the extreme end of the range. Test with actual samples.
- Environmental Factors: While robust, consider extremes of dust, steam, temperature, or strong ambient light that might require specific variants (e.g., polarized lenses for retro-reflective to combat shine) or protective housings.
- Alignment: Precise alignment is crucial over 2 meters, particularly for through-beam or retro-reflective modes. Ensure stable mounting and consider alignment aids if necessary.
The E3RA-DN13 2M Micro Photo Sensor is more than just a component; it’s a solution enabling smarter, more compact, and highly reliable long-range detection. By mastering the challenge of combining significant sensing distance with a minimal form factor, it empowers engineers to tackle complex automation tasks where space is constrained but performance cannot be compromised. Its unique blend of capabilities ensures its place as a critical tool in the ongoing advancement of precision industrial sensing, directly impacting efficiency and reliability on the factory floor and beyond.