New Arrivals in the Weld-Immune Sensor Portfolio
Revolutionary protection for long sensor life in welding environments
Welding environments are among the toughest conditions for industrial sensors. Weld spatter, intense magnetic fields, high temperatures, moving components and repeated mechanical impact can shorten sensor life, cause false triggering and lead to costly machine downtime.
The Contrinex Weld-Immune portfolio is engineered specifically to address these challenges. Combining weld-field immunity, ACTIVSTONE® anti-spatter protection, robust stainless-steel construction and purpose-designed accessories, the range provides a complete sensing solution for demanding MIG, MAG and spot-welding applications.
Now, the Weld-Immune portfolio is expanding with new sensors, cables, protective tubes, mounting tools and brackets, giving machine builders, system integrators and manufacturers even more options for creating reliable, long-lasting welding automation systems.
Why are standard sensors challenged by welding applications?
Industrial sensors installed close to welding equipment face several hazards simultaneously.
Weld spatter can accumulate on exposed sensor surfaces, reducing sensor performance and requiring harsh or frequent cleaning. Eventually, damaged sensors must be replaced – adding maintenance time and potentially interrupting production.
Magnetic fields present another challenge. Strong electromagnetic fields generated during welding can interfere with conventional inductive sensors, potentially causing false triggering or locked-on sensor outputs.
There is also the risk of mechanical damage from moving parts. Collisions with workpieces, fixtures and other moving equipment can damage a sensor's ferrite, electronics or housing. The result can be unexpected failures and costly machine downtime.
Contrinex Weld-Immune technology tackles these challenges at the sensor and system level.
ACTIVSTONE® anti-spatter coating: protection where it matters
A key feature of the Weld-Immune portfolio is ACTIVSTONE® high-integrity ceramic coating. Applied to external sensor surfaces, ACTIVSTONE® provides excellent resistance to abrasion and weld spatter in MIG, MAG and spot-welding applications.
This anti-spatter technology helps support longer service life and reducing the need for intensive cleaning and frequent sensor replacement.
Protection is not limited to the sensor itself. ACTIVSTONE®-coated mounting brackets extend protection across the installation, helping create a more robust sensing system for weld cells and other harsh industrial environments.
Weld-field immunity for reliable inductive sensing
Welding processes generate magnetic fields that can interfere with conventional inductive proximity sensors. Contrinex Weld-Immune sensors are designed to remain reliable in these demanding electromagnetic environments.
The sensors are immune to magnetic interference from medium-frequency (MF) weld fields with currents up to 15 kA and 50 Hz weld fields with amplitudes up to 40 mT.
For automated welding systems, this means dependable object detection with a significantly reduced risk of false triggering caused by surrounding weld fields.
Full Inox strength for maximum impact resistance
Mechanical strength is equally important when sensors operate close to moving tooling and workpieces.
Contrinex Full Inox sensors combine one-piece stainless-steel housings with Condet® technology to deliver maximum impact resistance. This rugged construction is particularly valuable where accidental contact and mechanical stress are unavoidable.
By combining physical robustness with weld-field immunity and anti-spatter protection, the Weld-Immune portfolio is designed to help manufacturers achieve long sensor life, reliable detection and reduced machine downtime.
What's new in the Weld-Immune portfolio?
The enhanced range introduces new sensor form factors and accessories designed to make Weld-Immune technology easier to integrate across a wider variety of machines and welding applications.
NEW Pigtail Series – more flexible sensor integration
The new Pigtail Series offers enhanced flexibility when integrating sensors into welding machinery and automated production equipment.
Key features include:
- Enhanced flexible ratio
- Integrated LED in the connector
- Optional PTFE protective tube
- ACTIVSTONE® anti-spatter coating
- IO-Link
The combination of flexible installation options and enhanced protection makes the Pigtail Series particularly suited to applications where space, movement, heat and weld spatter must all be considered.
NEW Miniature Flat Pack – compact sensing, rugged construction
When installation space is limited, the new Miniature Flat Pack provides a compact solution without compromising protection.
Its key features include:
- Fully stainless-steel housing
- ACTIVSTONE® anti-spatter coating
- Precise 2mm sensing distance
- IO-Link
The result is a compact, durable weld-immune proximity sensor designed for reliable operation close to the welding process.
NEW 2-WIRE – simple integration with precise sensing
.
Features include:
- Fully stainless-steel construction
- Ceramic face
- ACTIVSTONE® anti-spatter coating
This new addition expands integration possibilities for applications requiring 2-wire inductive sensing technology while maintaining the durability expected from the Contrinex Weld-Immune range.
NEW Harsh Environment Cables – built for heat and demanding conditions
A rugged sensor needs equally rugged connectivity. The new Harsh Environment Cables are engineered to withstand the demanding conditions found around welding equipment and other high-temperature industrial processes.
They provide:
- Temperature resistance up to 200°C
- Temperature resistance up to 260°C when used with the protective-tube version
- IP69K protection
- Length options from 0.6 m to 10 m
The wide choice of lengths helps simplify installation, while high-temperature and ingress protection support reliable connectivity in demanding production environments.
NEW Protective Tubes and Mounting Tools – faster, easier protection
New protective tubes add another layer of protection for sensor installations exposed to heat and weld spatter.
The protective tubes withstand temperatures of up to 260°C, while their pre-slit design enables quick and easy installation.
This makes it easier to protect vulnerable cabling without introducing unnecessary complexity during machine assembly, retrofit or maintenance.
NEW Mounting Brackets – rugged support with anti-spatter protection
The expanded portfolio also includes new ACTIVSTONE® anti-spatter-coated mounting brackets.
Designed for demanding industrial installations, they feature:
- Heavy-duty steel construction
- ACTIVSTONE® Anti-spatter coating
- Compatibility with a wide sensor range from M8 to M30
Together with Weld-Immune sensors, protective tubes and harsh-environment cables, these brackets help extend protection beyond the sensing face to the complete installation.
More than a sensor: a complete solution for welding automation
The expansion of the Contrinex Weld-Immune portfolio means manufacturers no longer need to consider the sensor in isolation.
From weld-immune inductive sensors and stainless-steel sensor housings to high-temperature cables, protective tubes and anti-spatter mounting brackets, the enhanced range provides the components needed to build a complete sensing solution for challenging welding environments.
The benefits can be significant: longer sensor service life, fewer replacements, reduced maintenance, reliable detection in magnetic weld fields and less unplanned machine downtime.
For OEMs and machine builders, the broader selection also creates greater design flexibility, with sensor formats and accessories suitable for different mounting spaces, sensing requirements and environmental conditions.
Built for MIG, MAG and spot-welding applications
Whether the challenge is weld spatter, electromagnetic interference, high temperatures or mechanical impact, Contrinex Weld-Immune solutions are engineered to keep sensors operating reliably where conventional sensing technology can struggle.
With the latest additions to the portfolio, users can now choose from an even broader range of rugged sensors and matching accessories – all designed around one objective:
Revolutionary protection for long life.
Explore the enhanced Contrinex Weld-Immune portfolio and discover the new sensors, cables, protective tubes, mounting solutions and accessories designed to keep your welding automation running reliably.
