What it is on the BOM
The Square D / Telemecanique OsiSense XS218SAPAL10 is an 18 mm threaded-barrel inductive proximity sensor — the workhorse non-contact target detector used on conveyors, fillers and general machine-position work. It runs on 10 to 36 VDC, switches a PNP normally-open output over three wires, and sits in the Schneider/Telemecanique OsiSense XS range.
Headline numbers an integrator checks first
Sensing distance is 12 mm with front-facing target pickup, which is the standard long-range figure for an M18 inductive head — confirms it suits non-embeddable mounts where the target sits clear of the barrel face. Switching frequency tops out at 1000 Hz, so cylinder- and cam-position counting in normal machine-tool or packaging-line cycle rates is well within its bandwidth; only high-speed encoder-class targets would push past that. Load current is 200 mA, which is the figure that decides what the output can drive directly — typically a PLC fast input, a small relay coil or an indicator, rather than a contactor coil.
Where it physically lives
Enclosure rating is IP68 / IP69K and the body is 316L stainless steel, so the sensor takes washdown, caustic cleaners and outdoor exposure — typical fit on food/beverage lines, chemical skids, or any skid where the enclosure gets hosed down. Operating temperature spans -13 to 185 DEG F, covering unheated outdoor enclosures and most process-side cabinets without derating. Connection is a 10 m PVC pre-cable pigtail rather than a connector — useful when routing through conduit or gland plates where a fixed lead gets pulled through and terminated inside the panel. Sensing face is PPS, the standard high-temperature thermoplastic used on this class of head, so it tolerates the same environment as the 316L body without chemical attack.
Sourcing and approval posture
Approvals carried are UL, CSA and CE, which clears the part for panels shipped into North American and CE-marked machinery without a separate approval submittal. For maintenance rooms already standardized on the OsiSense XS M18 form factor, the 12 mm PNP NO variant is a drop-in on standard M18 mounting hardware, and stocking a couple of spares covers the typical proximity-sensor line-down event on a packaging or filling cell.