The Festo SME-8M-ZS-24V-K-5-OE is a contacting proximity switch designed for position sensing on pneumatic cylinders with T-slots. It operates at 24 V DC and comes with a 5-meter cable for direct wiring back to the control cabinet. This is the switch you spec when you need a reliable, mechanically contacting sensor for cylinder end-position detection — no magnetic-field interference worries, just a straightforward make/break contact that tells the PLC the cylinder has reached its stroke end.
Deployment Context
This switch mounts directly into the T-slot of a Festo pneumatic cylinder — no brackets, no adapters. The contacting design means a mechanical plunger inside the slot is actuated by the cylinder's piston magnet. It is a sealed unit but not rated for washdown environments; keep it on dry, indoor automation lines where coolant spray is not present. The cable exits the sensor body and should be routed with a service loop to absorb cylinder movement.