Bulletin 46 Color/Luminescence

The Allen-Bradley Bulletin 46 Color/Luminescence family is a line of specialized photoelectric sensing devices designed to detect color differences, true color matching, and luminescence in industrial applications. The family spans three sub-series — 46CLR (True Color Sensors), 46DFA (Small Aperture Fiber Optic Sensors), and 46KLR (Luminescence Sensors) — each targeting distinct detection requirements on the line. In the 46CLR catalog number, key positions identify housing material (stainless steel on D5 models), sensing mode (diffuse), and output configuration — for example, 46CLR-D5LAC3-D5, 46CLR-D5LAC1-D5, and 46CLR-D5LAC2-D5 differ in their output type (the C1/C2/C3 position), allowing designers to select NPN, PNP, or analog outputs to match the control architecture. The 46DFA series uses a small-aperture fiber optic head, with suffix characters such as -F4 and -Y4 indicating connector and housing variants suited for tight mounting spaces. With only six SKUs across the family, selection is straightforward once the sensing mode, output type, and housing requirement are confirmed.