RFQ / Keyence

Keyence sells direct. There is no distributor network, no published price list and no third party stock sitting on a shelf in Auckland. That is fine while a product is current. On something discontinued, or at four o'clock on a Friday, it leaves you with fewer options than any other brand on this site.

We source Keyence independently, new where it is available and surplus where it is not.

Request a quote

Reference pages

Why this brand is different to buy

Worth being straight about, because it changes what you should do.

None of that is a criticism of the product. Keyence hardware is generally excellent and the direct model is why their technical support is good.

But it has two practical consequences for a maintenance team.

There is very little Keyence sitting in the wider market, so when something is discontinued the surplus pool is much smaller than it would be for an equivalent SICK or Omron part.

And you have fewer routes when you need something quickly. That is exactly the argument for holding spares on this brand rather than relying on being able to buy one.

We treat Keyence enquiries the way we treat anything obsolete: we tell you honestly whether we can get it, and if we cannot, we say so rather than leaving you waiting.

The families

Sensors

Vision and code reading

Control and safety

Nearly everything here is two parts

The structural fact about this brand, and the one that produces incomplete orders.

So a model number on its own is usually half an order. Tell us which half failed and we will quote the right one, or both if you want the axis covered.

On the matched products, the head and the controller have to suit each other. A displacement head is calibrated to a measuring range and the controller has to be the matching type, so those are quoted as a pair unless you tell us otherwise.

The settings live in the amplifier

Same pattern as everything else on this site, with a Keyence twist that is genuinely useful.

The amplifier holds the thresholds, the timers, the output mode and the display settings. The head or fibre is just optics.

That copy function is worth knowing about, because it means a replacement amplifier in a bank can often be set up from its neighbour in seconds rather than being taught from scratch.

Where an amplifier is on its own, photograph the display and the settings before removing it. Free, and it saves guessing at a threshold that was tuned against real product.

NPN and PNP are in the model number

Most Keyence sensors come in NPN and PNP output versions, distinguished by a letter at the end of the model number.

That has to match your PLC input card. An NPN sensor into a PNP input does nothing, and the two model numbers differ by one character.

If you are unsure, read the suffix off a working sensor on the same machine, or tell us the PLC and we will work it out. This applies across the brand, not just to fibre amplifiers.

Vision and code readers hold their job in the unit

An IV vision sensor or a CV-X system holds the inspection setup: the tools, the thresholds, the pass and fail logic and the communication mapping.

Back that up while the system works. Rebuilding a vision inspection is an engineering job, not a parts order, and the tolerances were arrived at by running real product through and adjusting.

The same applies to code readers, where the read settings and the output formatting are configuration rather than hardware.

The general principles are on our vision page: lighting is usually the culprit when a system becomes unreliable, no inspection at all is usually the trigger, and a different camera changes the field of view.

KV PLCs need the same care as any other

KV is less common in New Zealand than the big PLC brands, which cuts both ways. Fewer people can support it, and it is often found on a single imported machine rather than across a plant.

If you have one, the program backup matters more than usual because local expertise is thinner.

Safety products are a different conversation

GL light curtains, SL laser scanners and GS interlocks are safety devices, and substituting them is not a like-for-like parts decision.

Resolution, protective height, response time, safety level and how the device is integrated into the safety circuit all matter. Whether a particular device suits a particular guard belongs with whoever holds the machine's safety assessment.

We supply what you specify, and we will flag it when what you have asked for differs from what you have described. Same approach as our Pilz, SICK and Leuze pages.

Before ordering a replacement

What to send us

The full model number, including the last letter.

Which half failed, the amplifier or the head.

NPN or PNP, or the PLC it wires into.

A photo of the installation, which shows the mounting, the fibre routing and any bank of amplifiers.

For displacement, the measuring range and the target material.

For vision, whether the job is backed up.

Whether the device is safety related.

What we can supply

Sensors. FS amplifiers and FU fibre units, LV and LR laser sensors, photoelectric, inductive and displacement sensors.

Vision and code reading. IV vision sensors, CV-X and XG systems, camera heads, lighting and cables, SR and BL code readers.

Control. KV PLCs, expansion units and VT operator terminals.

Safety. GL light curtains, SL scanners and GS switches, supplied to your specification.

Measurement. Displacement and profile sensors, controllers and heads as matched pairs.

Obsolete hardware. Where a discontinued unit is the only way to keep a machine on its existing configuration.

We say plainly whether an item is new or surplus, and where we cannot get it we tell you rather than leaving the enquiry open.

Hold spares on this brand

Worth stating as advice rather than as a sales line, because the direct model genuinely changes the calculation.

On most brands you can afford to buy on failure because the market is deep. On this one the market is thin, so the spare on the shelf is worth more than it looks.

We buy Keyence

Keyence holds value particularly well precisely because there is so little of it in the secondary market.

Keep amplifiers with their fibres or heads, controllers with their cameras and cables, and anything still in its packaging as it is. Matched and complete items are worth considerably more. See Sell To Us.

Common questions

Can you get a part that is not listed on your site?
Often. On this brand the honest answer is that it depends on the item, and we will tell you quickly either way.

Why is Keyence harder to source than other brands?
It is sold direct rather than through distributors, so there is much less third party stock in the market.

Do I need the amplifier or the fibre?
They are separate parts. The fibre is the optics and the amplifier holds the settings.

How do I know if I need NPN or PNP?
It has to match the PLC input card. Read the suffix off a working sensor on the same machine.

Can I copy settings to a new amplifier?
Usually yes, from an adjacent unit in the same bank.

Do you supply used equipment?
Where we can find it. On discontinued Keyence that is often the only route.

What is the lead time?
It varies more on this brand than most. We give you a firm figure with the quote.

Do you quote in NZD?
Yes, in NZD including GST for New Zealand customers.

Related

Keyence fibre optic sensors and amplifiers for the detail.

For equivalent sensors from brands with a deeper secondary market see SICK, Omron and Leuze. For vision see Cognex. We also supply IFM, Turck, Balluff, Banner and Datalogic.

Send us your model numbers

Including the last letter, and tell us which half of the sensor failed. On this brand it is worth asking early rather than when the line is already down. Quotes in NZD including GST.

Request a quote

Industech is an independent supplier of new, surplus and used industrial automation equipment. We are not an authorised distributor of, approved by, sanctioned by, or affiliated with Keyence. Keyence and the product series named here are trademarks of Keyence Corporation. All trademarks, brand names and model numbers are the property of their respective owners and are used here for identification purposes only.