Built for the pit: long-range through-beam with a brass shell
The XU2M18MA230 is a through-beam photoelectric sensor set from the Telemecanique XU series — transmitter and receiver in one prewired pack. That 15 m sensing range cuts through airborne dust better than any retroreflective or diffuse mode, so you can gate a crusher feed belt or detect trucks at a dump pocket without cleaning lenses every shift. Brass body shrugs off abrasive slurry and the IP67 seal keeps wash-down water out of the electronics. PMMA lens is impact-resistant for a straight-shot path where debris might fly.
Mounting and wiring in a dirty panel
M18 threaded barrel with a 2 m bare-wire pigtail — plan for a cable gland or resin block where it passes the gland plate. Relay output (1NO, 200 mA max) gives you a dry contact that any PLC input can read; no pull-up resistor needed. Supply voltage covers everything from 24V to 240V AC or DC — common in plants where control power is all over the map. Dark-on switching logic means the output energises when the beam is broken; that is the standard setup for presence detection in material handling.