Siemens has announced that it is withdrawing from the market for optical safety sensors from 1 October, 2010. The sensors, which Siemens has been selling under its Simatic FS brand, were produced for it by the Gerrman sensor specialist Leuze electronic and equivalent products will continue to be available in Leuze versions

From 1 October, Siemens will also stop selling its Simatic FS100 safety switch strips, but will continue to handle spare parts inquiries.

Earlier this year, Siemens withdrew from another area of sensing when it sold its proximity sensor business to the German sensor manufacturer Pepperl+Fuchs for an undisclosed sum.

Products affected by the latest announcement include light barriers, curtains and grids, laser scanners and accessories (some of which are shown above). In future, Leuze will provide service and support for these products, including handling warranty issues and repairs. It has set up a Web site for further information. This site includes a tool that converts Siemens parts numbers into their Leuze equivalents.