Find the right industrial sensor for your application.
Use this simple Dolphin Device selection page to match target material, sensing range, environment, output type and mounting size with the most suitable industrial sensor technology. The page is intentionally generic, so it can support a wide range of industrial sensing applications.
Sensor Finder
Select the operating conditions below. The recommendation engine ranks common industrial sensor technologies and also suggests a practical body size based on standard market formats.
Recommended technologies
Top matches are ranked automatically from your inputs.
Tip: choose a very short range for flush metal sensing, and choose longer ranges for photoelectric or ultrasonic options.
Common sensor technologies
The visuals below intentionally use cylindrical sensor imagery to keep the page design consistent while explaining the main technology classes used in industrial automation.
Inductive Proximity
Best for metal-only detection at short range. Extremely common for limit sensing, fixture detection, gear tooth presence and automation interlocks.
Capacitive Proximity
Suitable for metal and non-metal materials such as plastic, powder, paper, wood, grain and liquids. Often used for level and presence sensing.
Photoelectric Diffuse / Retro
Used for counting, bottle detection, package sensing and general object detection where the target may be farther away than proximity-sensor range.
Laser / Distance Sensor
Chosen when you need precise position or distance measurement, background suppression or smaller spot size for narrow targets.
Through-beam Photoelectric
Best when reliability and sensing distance matter most. The emitter and receiver are separate, making this style strong for challenging targets.
Ultrasonic
Works well for difficult optical targets including transparent, shiny or color-varying objects, and can also be useful for level applications.
Magnetic / Cylinder Sensor
Designed to detect a magnet, typically inside a pneumatic cylinder piston, for end-of-stroke and automation position confirmation.
Area / Slot / Fork Sensor
Useful for edge detection, web presence, counting small labels and parts, and guarding a narrow sensing gap or light curtain zone.
Standard industrial sensor sizes
These are the body sizes most commonly seen in the market for cylindrical and square sensors. Exact sensing ranges vary by technology, shielding, housing style and manufacturer.
M8 Cylindrical
- Typical inductive ranges: about 1–2 mm
- Best when mounting space is very limited
- Common in compact automation and pick-and-place tooling
M12 Cylindrical
- Typical inductive ranges: about 2–4 mm
- Common in packaging and assembly equipment
- Good balance of size, cost and ruggedness
M18 Cylindrical
- Typical inductive ranges: about 5–8 mm, sometimes higher
- Very popular for photoelectric and capacitive bodies too
- Often the default choice when space is available
M30 Cylindrical
- Typical inductive ranges: about 10–15 mm or more
- Good for larger targets and harsher environments
- Common in heavy machinery and material handling
M50 Cylindrical
- Less common than M18 and M30
- Useful when high visibility and large mechanical presence are desired
- Seen in some heavy-duty capacitive, photoelectric or ultrasonic formats
Square / Rectangular
- Common in photoelectric, laser and larger proximity sensors
- Helpful when cylindrical mounting holes are not preferred
- Often used for longer optical ranges and visible alignment
Application guide
Industrial customers typically search by application first, not by sensor technology. This section helps connect real use cases with the right sensing approach.
Quick comparison
Use this table as a fast reference when discussing sensor choice with a customer or distributor.
| Technology | Best target type | Typical range profile | Main advantages | Main limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inductive | Metal | Very short to short | Robust, stable, fast, easy to apply | Only detects metal |
| Capacitive | Metal + non-metal | Short to medium | Detects plastic, powder, liquid and many non-metals | Can be more sensitive to environment and tuning |
| Photoelectric diffuse / retro | General objects | Medium to long | Longer reach, fast, very common | Can be affected by color, reflectivity or alignment |
| Through-beam | Small or difficult objects | Long | Highest optical reliability and longer distance | Needs emitter and receiver mounting |
| Laser distance / BGS | Precise target point | Short to medium | Precise position, narrow beam, distance data | Higher cost and more application-specific |
| Ultrasonic | Transparent, shiny, liquid, mixed surfaces | Medium | Less dependent on color and transparency | Usually slower than fast optical sensors |
| Magnetic cylinder | Piston magnets | Very short / close-coupled | Simple, compact, purpose-built | Requires magnetic target |
How the finder decides
The recommendation engine is rule-based. It gives weight to target material first, then sensing distance, then application type, environment, body-size constraints and output preference. This produces practical recommendations rather than random generic suggestions.
For example, metal + short range strongly favors inductive sensing, while transparent targets or mixed materials may push the result toward photoelectric, laser or ultrasonic technologies.
Useful sales and SEO coverage
This page is written so customers can approach the problem from several directions: by application, by target material, by body size, by technology and by output type. That helps both human usability and search discoverability.
Once published on your domain, you can extend this page with dedicated product pages for each technology and size family.