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Charlotte Stonestreet
Managing Editor |
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Precision and repeatability
08 December 2025
SENSOR SPECIALIST, SICK has released the W12NextGen range of photoelectric sensors with enhanced detection capabilities, delivering intelligent usability even in harsh conditions. Building on the W12 series, the robust W12NextGen harnesses SICK’s innovation and sensor expertise to provide precision, versatility and repeatability, with a range of new features.

The W12NextGen universal detection solution is reported to harness the company’s expertise, processing power and proprietary algorithms for superior performance across a wide array of industrial applications. In addition, the W12NextGen is the first SICK photoelectric sensor with a true digital twin and features new Hybrid LED technology for better positioning, as well as state-of-the-art spot size recognition (SSR) for retro-reflective sensors. With easy setup and operation, and smart connectivity, it is enclosed in a rugged metal housing and built to last.
The W12NextGen offers outstanding detection performance even with high ambient light and reliable detection of critical objects. OpticalExperts facilitate detection at high speed, including very dark, shiny, flat, uneven, transparent or perforated objects, and those at different or difficult angles. Equipped with ClearSens for reliable detection of transparent objects and LineSpot for structured and uneven surfaces, W12NextGen sensors perform in even the most challenging environmental conditions, such as extraneous/high ambient light, shock, vibration or high/low temperatures. A new teach-in process, including foreground and background suppression, allows for fast setup on the device, while AutoAdapt technology allows the sensor to adapt to changing conditions.
The W12NextGen is simple to order, use and teach: The BluePilot user interface features a push-turn button for easy parameterization or SICK SOPAS software can be used via IO-Link for precise commissioning. An intuitive interface assists with fast installation and configuration, and a range of compatible accessories are available. W12 supports digitization with smart features and rich diagnostic & process data via IO-Link (temperature, distance, receiver level, alarm output, teach quality). Long lasting components and durable metal housing make the W12NextGen the most robust proximity diffuse sensor with TwinEye Technology, providing high chemical, thermal, and mechanical robustness.
Applications for the W12NextGen sensor range from detecting water bottles in shrink packaging and detection of filled bottles in wet environments, to tear strip detection on transparent foil, objects in different detection ranges to prevent production line jams, detection of flat, uneven or glossy objects on conveyors, filling level of storage racks for material handling or material infeed, and monitoring of sorter tipping. Meanwhile, the W12NextGen’s digital twin enables OEMs and end users to model and develop whole production lines or machines, and it interacts with PLCs for design and virtual commissioning.
David Hannaby, SICK portfolio sales manager, presence detection, says, “Exceptionally good, reliable and robust, the W12 family has led the market for decades. The W12NextGen photoelectric sensor takes an enormously popular and highly successful product to the next level. We have once again applied SICK’s decades of experience in customer-specific projects to innovative, high-end solutions that meet complex industrial requirements. The W12NextGen sensor harnesses technological progress in a single sensor to set new benchmarks in precision and reliability, and deliver uncompromising performance to the most challenging applications.”
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