Smart, easy to use, eco-friendly: FX-250 digital fiber sensor

Panasonic Industry Europe is introducing the new FX‑250 digital fiber sensor designed to support users in their daily working routines as effectively as possible.

The FX-250 offers a large, high‑contrast OLED display providing excellent readability and shows not only numerical values, but also fully written text. This makes menu navigation intuitive and significantly reduces the risk of operating errors, especially for less experienced users or teams working in shifts. As a result, settings can be checked and adjusted quickly even from a distance, helping reduce set‑up time and machine downtime.

A particularly practical feature is the new two‑step limit teaching, which no longer requires manual adjustment of the emitted light. By simply pressing a button twice, the sensor reliably learns the switching threshold—even under challenging lighting conditions such as reflections or incident light saturation. This makes machine setup considerably faster and ensures stable detection of shiny, transparent, or very small components, providing reliable performance even in demanding industrial environments.

The FX‑250 also stands out with its extremely compact design. Its newly engineered cover requires an opening radius of only 30 millimeters, enabling installation in very restricted spaces and simplifying maintenance without the need to reposition surrounding components. This makes the sensor ideal for modern production machinery where space is limited and accessibility is crucial.

Energy efficiency has also been a central focus in the development of the FX‑250. Three integrated ECO modes automatically reduce energy consumption by dimming the display after a short period of inactivity or switching off the display and indicators entirely if required. This feature is particularly beneficial in 24/7 production environments with a large number of sensors installed, where even small savings contribute to substantial overall energy reductions and support companies in achieving their sustainability goals.

With a response time of just 35 microseconds, the FX‑250 is also perfectly suited for applications requiring fast and precise detection. Even the smallest or rapidly moving objects are reliably identified, increasing process stability and reducing the risk of errors in high‑speed production lines.

“With the FX‑250, we are expanding our fiber sensor portfolio with a highly user‑friendly series that significantly simplifies everyday work in industrial automation,” says Angelika Selzle, Head of Product & Business Management Sensors at Panasonic Industry. “We have engineered a very compact yet powerful digital fiber sensor. With its response time of 35 µs, it is ideally suited for requiring high‑throughput performance.”