Theoretical progress and recent realizations of miniaturized inductive sensors for automation

Non-contacting inductive proximity sensors (IPS) are widely preferred for position detection in industrial applications. Advances in the last 10 years in integration and assembly techniques have made possible continued sensor size reduction towards very small, miniaturized versions. The paper refers to the progress in the last years, presenting the recently gained knowledge in sensing principle, evaluation electronics and manufacturing. The fundamentals shown in the paper were essential for the design and development of a worldwide innovation: the smallest single-component IPS family having the longest switching distance. Mounted in a stainless steel tube with only 3mm diameter and a length of 33mm, the smallest sensor in the family is able to detect metal targets up to 3mm and to provide an output switching signal with high current capacity