Balluff BES 516-131-S4-C (BES0178) Inductive Proximity Sensor: Complete Technical Guide

12 Januari 2026

Historical parts record: Photos and notes below belong to this record. Confirm the offered unit’s full model, condition and available test evidence before ordering.

What is the Balluff BES 516-131-S4-C?

The BES 516-131-S4-C (Balluff order code BES0178) is a Balluff M12 inductive proximity sensor in the Global series — a fully threaded stainless barrel with a 4 mm rated operating distance and the four-wire output that carries both switch states: PNP normally-open on pin 4 and PNP normally-closed on pin 2, sharing the 10…30 V DC supply on pins 1 and 3 through the M12 connector. The factory bag label states it plainly: BALLUFF, Schurwaldstrasse 9, 73765 Neuhausen a.d.F., Germany; 10V…30V DC; ≤200 mA; Sn = 4 mm; PNP; Normally open/close (NO/NC); country of origin Germany; approvals CE, EAC and cULus Listed (811JX, Class 2 Type 1); batch 06908787 / 08020797, dated 180813. One wiring note worth having on record: the intake tag books this lot as domestic stock while the Balluff bag prints Germany — both statements are given as recorded, and the bag label travels with each unit. Four sets, each with two lock nuts and serrated washers, 1-year warranty as recorded at intake. All 10 photos and 1 video below show these exact sensors.

3 min readContent reviewed 8 October 2026

Part details

BES 516-131-S4-C (BES0178), as printed on the factory bag label
Field	Value
Model	Balluff BES 516-131-S4-C (order code BES0178)
Type	Inductive proximity sensor, M12 threaded stainless barrel, Global series
Operating distance	Sn = 4 mm
Output	PNP normally open + normally closed (NO/NC), ≤200 mA
Supply	10…30 V DC
Connection	4-pin M12 — 1 = L+, 2 = NC output, 3 = L−, 4 = NO output
Indicators	Switching-state LED window on the barrel
Approvals	CE, EAC, cULus Listed 811JX (Class 2 Type 1)
Maker	BALLUFF GmbH, Schurwaldstrasse 9, 73765 Neuhausen a.d.F., Germany (bag label: country of origin Germany)
Batch	06908787 / 08020797, date code 180813 (Aug 2018)
Included per set	Sensor, 2 lock nuts, serrated washers, Global bag with data label
Quantity	4 sets, new; 1-year warranty as recorded at intake
Shipping weight	0.5 kg per set as recorded

Scroll sideways to see the full table.

Values are read from the factory bag labels and the sensor engravings in the photo set; the origin note on the intake tag and on the Balluff bag are both stated as recorded.

Why four wires beat two

A two-wire proximity sensor is simple to install and blind to diagnose; the four-wire BES 516-131-S4-C gives the panel both switch states at once, and that changes what the controller can do with it. Wire the NC contact to a monitored input and a broken cable, a dead sensor or a pulled plug reads as a fault instead of a silent "no part present" — the classic machine-safety trick that turns the same sensor into both a position signal and its own health check. Wire the NO contact where a simple run/stop decision is needed and the spare pair waits. The 4 mm rating on an M12 barrel is the standard flush-mount geometry — the sensor threads into a tapped plate, the two lock nuts clamp it, and the serrated washers keep the setting honest under vibration. Balluff's Global series is the company's volume line, built to the same stainless and sealing standards as its premium ranges, and the barrel carries its own engravings (BES0178, the model string, the batch 1749HU) so identity survives even when the bag is gone. The LED window beside the threads shows switch state at a glance during commissioning. Four identical sets, each bagged with its own data label, nuts and washers, are photographed here — a position-sensing refresh for one machine, or stock for the next four positions that need one.