Omron E3S-BR61 retro-reflective photoelectric sensor, 1 m sensing range, current production.
Retro-reflective means the emitter and receiver sit in the same housing; you mount a reflector opposite. The 1 m range covers most conveyor divert gates, pallet detection, and carton presence on short spans. There’s no separate receiver to wire – one cable run, one part per station.
Omron lists the E3S-BR61 as current production.
A retro-reflective sensor is a single housing; you keep a few reflectors in the bin. That’s one fewer SKU than a through-beam pair. For a panel spares cabinet, that matters.