Capacitance Probe

Manufactured by BinMaster & Distributed by Wm. Neundorfer & Co.

The versatile, sensitive point level switch workhorse for high-, mid-, and low-level detection in bins, silos, tanks, and hoppers—powders, solids, slurries, and liquids.

BinMaster’s authorized PROCAP capacitance probe distributor for the Great Lakes region—65 years specifying the right probe, sleeve, mount, and electronics for your material and environment.

WNC - Capacitance Probe

Get an application-specific recommendation

Tell us about your vessel. Wm. Neundorfer & Co. will spec the right capacitance probe—probe style, sleeve, length, mount, and electronics—for your material, environment, and process.

or call (440) 350-7460

Trusted across the Great Lakes region since 1959

Local Inventory
stocked in Painesville, OH

65 Years of
Bulk Material Handling Expertise

Serving the Great Lakes Region
OH, PA, WV, NY

Key Specs

Technology

RF Capacitance

Point level — solids, powders, slurries, liquids

Sensitivity

Adjustable to <1 pF Picofarad

Detects subtle level changes

Probe Configurations

13+ Styles

Plus 3 mini-probe models

Why the capacitance probe is the most versatile point-level switch in Great Lakes plants

One sensor, nearly any material

Powders, pellets, grains, granules, slurries, and liquids — from grain and plastic resin to cement, fly ash, sugar, and water-based liquids. Change the probe style and sleeve to match the material; a Delrin® or Teflon® sleeve lets the same unit work in solids, powders, slurries, or liquids.

PRO-Shield ignores buildup and bridging

An energized shield on the first inches of the probe keeps coating, dust, and sidewall material buildup from causing false readings, so the probe stays reliable in dusty, sticky, or clingy materials where simpler switches fail.

Fail-safe relays and at-a-glance LED status

BinMaster capacitance probes use fail-safe relays — on a power loss the relay falls to the safe condition and signals an alarm. A red LED on the housing shows covered, uncovered, or fault status so an operator can read the unit without opening it.

Configured to order, calibrated in seconds

PROCAP can be configured to your specification — power pac, fitting, sleeve, probe, length, and mount. Quick-Set calibration uses two single-turn potentiometers and takes under 20 seconds, with no material in the vessel. Operating at 6 kHz, below the RF range, the probe will not interfere with two-way radios or nearby electronics.

Capacitance Probes Installed

Models

The PROCAP electronics head — the “power pac” — mounts on the probe and drives the relay output. Pick the head by power, output, and calibration needs; pick the probe in the Configuration section below. Send us the application and we’ll spec both.
Model Highlight Applications
PROCAP I Universal power supply, 24–240 VAC/DC and a vivid LED status light. DPDT 10-amp relay, Quick-Set calibration, dual covered/uncovered time delay up to 30 seconds. Combines flexibility and performance for demanding solids, liquids, and slurry applications
PROCAP II Line-powered version, 115/230 VAC and vivid LED status light. DPDT 10-amp relay, Quick-Set calibration, and dual time delay. Dependable point-level detection in bins, tanks, and silos across a wide range of applications.
PROCAP I 3-A Sanitary model. Sanitary electronics paired with a tri-clamp, clean-in-place probe meeting 3-A and USDA standards. 24 to 240 VAC/VDC Universal and a vivid LED status light. Food, dairy, and pharmaceutical vessels with sanitary requirements
PROCAP II 3-A Sanitary model. Sanitary electronics paired with a tri-clamp, clean-in-place probe meeting 3-A and USDA standards. 115/230 VAC and a vivid LED status light. Food, dairy, and pharmaceutical vessels with sanitary requirements
PRO Auto-Cal Automatic Calibration. Set with a magnet in seconds — no cover removal, no potentiometers. Fast installs and frequent recalibration; gloved or hard-to-reach setups
PRO Remote Splits the electronics from the probe; the head mounts up to 75 ft away from the sensing element. High heat, high vibration, or cramped locations where electronics shouldn’t sit on the vessel
Download PROCAP PDF
Compact stainless-steel probes for small vessels and tight spaces, available in three models by material.
Model Highlight Applications
MCP-100 Liquids Model. Miniature probe for liquid level and pressure detection; stainless-steel enclosure. Liquids in sanitary tanks and clean-in-place systems
MCP-200 Point-level detection for bulk solids — granules, pellets, and powders; hygienic options. Hoppers, feeders, and compact storage vessels
MCP-300 Extended stainless-steel probe, customizable from 2.5 in to 9.8 in. Ingredient tanks, breweries, dairy processing, and other water-based liquids and pump protection applications
Download MCP PDF

Still narrowing it down?

Tell us about your vessel and material—we'll spec the right model for your application.

Configure your capacitance probe to your application

Capacitance probes are built to order across a wide range of materials, vessel types, and mounting locations. The probe style, sleeve, length, fitting, and mount are all configurable. Not sure which configuration fits? Tell us about your application, and we'll spec the right mount for you.

Cutaway of BinMaster Capacitance probe in silo

A representative selection of the most-specified styles. The full PROCAP range covers shielded and unshielded, sleeved and bare, rigid and flexible, sanitary, flush, and high-temperature probes.
Type Construction Best at
Standard Shielded (Delrin or Teflon Sleeved) 5/8in 316 SS, sleeved; PRO-Shield. Delrin to 250°F, Teflon to 500°F. The versatile default — solids, powders, slurries, and liquids
Extended Shield (Delrin or Teflon Sleeved) 10in extended PRO-Shield on a 5/8in 316 SS sleeved probe. Delrin to 250°F, Teflon to 500°F. Mounting through a nozzle or standpipe, or heavy sidewall buildup
Sanitary / 3-A Delrin Sleeved 5/8in 316 SS, Delrin sleeved; 1in or 2in tri-clamp fitting. Dairy, food, and pharmaceutical vessels (3-A / USDA, clean-in-place)
Heavy-Duty (HD) Bare 316 SS 1in solid 316 SS rod, 8in standard; rated to 500°F. Hot, heavy, abrasive materials — fly ash, clinker, coal, aggregate
High-Temp Ceramic Bare 316 SS / ceramic 1-1/8” 316 SS with ceramic inserts; remote electronics required. Process temperatures past 500°F, up to 1,000°F
Flush-Mounted Polyethylene / Teflon Non-intrusive; mounts flush on the vessel wall, chute, or conveyor. Tight spaces and flow points where a rigid probe would be damaged
Hanging Flexible Cable 316 SS, sleeved or bare 1/4” cable, cut to length in the field; up to 25–35 ft. Top-mounting in lump materials (coal, aggregate) that damage rigid probes
Bendable Sleeved 316 SS Shaped in the field to clear internal obstructions. Mixers, small hoppers, and tanks with internal structure

Delrin® sleeve — the default for ambient and warm service, up to 250°F. Teflon® sleeve — up to 500°F; for high-temp, sticky, or chemically aggressive materials and most liquids. Bare 316 SS — for dry bulk solids that don’t leave a conductive residue (a sleeve is required for conductive, residue-leaving materials). Sanitary Delrin® — FDA-recognized, clean-in-place construction for food and pharmaceutical contact.  

Probes mount on a standard 3/4” or 1-1/4” NPT process connection, with food-grade and 1”/2”/3”/4” 150# raised-face flange options. Top mounting is used for high-level detection; side or cone mounting for mid- and low-level.
  • Mounting plates — powder-coated carbon steel in 0°, 10°, 20°, and 30° angles to match flat or sloped roofs; stainless steel for sanitary installs.
  • FI fitting — extends the probe 3-5/8” past sidewall buildup or through a thick wall, or lags the electronics off a heat source.
  • Stainless-steel or galvanized lag — extends the probe 6” to 24” through thick or double walls and moves the electronics away from heat.
  • Remote electronics — PRO Remote relocates the head up to 75 ft from the probe for high-heat or high-vibration locations.

Not sure which mount fits your vessel?

Tell us about your vessel type, roof angle, and existing fitting size—we'll spec the hardware for your application.

Industries where the capacitance probe is the point-level standard

Serving industrial facilities across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Western New York since 1959. Find your application below — or tell us about your vessel and we'll spec the right model.

Grain and Feed

Corn, soybean meal, wheat, DDGs, and ground feed in elevators, feed mills, and ethanol plants. High-, mid-, and low-level alarms on storage and surge bins.

Common fit: PROCAP II + standard Delrin-sleeved shielded probe

Plastics and Resins

Virgin and regrind resin pellets, masterbatch, and ground polymer in day tanks, hoppers, and rail-car silos.

Common fit: PROCAP II + standard Delrin probe; CompactPro for small hoppers

Cement and Aggregate

Cement, fly ash, slag, lime, and aggregate in batch plants and storage silos. Buildup-prone and abrasive materials.

Common fit: PROCAP II + extended-shield or HD probe; flexible cable for aggregate

Power Generation

Coal, fly ash, limestone for FGD, and bottom ash. Hot fly-ash bins push past standard probe limits.

Common fit: PROCAP HD (to 500°F) or PRO Remote + ceramic probe for the hottest bins

Food and Pharmaceutical

Sugar, flour, starch, milk powder, and ingredients under hygienic requirements. Product-contact and clean-in-place.

Common fit: PROCAP I 3-A / II 3-A + sanitary Delrin tri-clamp probe

Chemical

Industrial powders, additives, and aggressive or sticky liquids in process and storage tanks.

Common fit: PROCAP II + Teflon-sleeved shielded probe

Mining and Minerals

Aggregate, salt, lime, fertilizer, and frac sand in storage silos and load-out bins. Abrasive, dense solids.

Common fit: PROCAP II + HD or bare shielded probe; flexible cable for lump material

Water and Wastewater

Treatment chemicals, lime, and water-based liquids at municipal and industrial sites.

Common fit: PROCAP II + Teflon-sleeved probe; MCP-100 for small liquid vessels

Bioenergy and Wood

Wood pellets, bark, and densified biomass at pellet plants and biomass-fueled facilities.

Common fit: PROCAP II + Teflon flexible cable for pellets (very light fluff may suit a vibrating rod)

Don't see your exact industry?

Tell us about your vessel and material—we'll spec the hardware for your application.

FAQ

Use a capacitance probe for the broadest range of materials — it senses solids, powders, slurries, and liquids, handles sticky or clingy materials with PRO-Shield, and has no moving parts. Use a rotary for free-flowing dry bulk solids of moderate to high density where a simple mechanical switch is enough. Use a vibrating rod for very light, fluffy, low-density powders (down to about 1.25 lb./ft.³) that a capacitance probe may struggle to detect. We sell all three — send us the application and we’ll give you the honest answer, not the expensive one.

Capacitance probes work best in materials with a moderate to high dielectric constant: grains, plastic pellets and resins, chemicals and industrial powders, cement, lime and fly ash, sugar, flour and salt, oils and water-based liquids, and slurries. Materials with a very low dielectric constant — some very light, fluffy powders — can be hard to detect, and we’ll point you to a vibrating rod instead when that’s the better fit.

PRO-Shield is an energized section of the probe that isn’t used for sensing. It lets the probe ignore material buildup on the shaft and bridging between the sidewall and the probe, which would otherwise cause false readings. It’s what keeps a capacitance probe reliable in dusty, sticky, or clingy materials — and why a coated or sleeved probe is specified for conductive materials that leave a residue.

Tell us your specific dust or area classification and we’ll spec the correct unit and approval rating for your application. Standard PROCAP electronics carry an unlisted approval rating, so for combustible-dust or classified areas it’s important we confirm the requirement up front rather than after the order — that’s exactly the kind of detail our application engineers check before you buy.

Yes — there’s a path for almost any temperature. A Teflon® sleeve takes the standard probe to 500°F. The heavy-duty (HD) 1” stainless probe is rated to 500°F for hot, heavy materials such as fly ash and clinker. The ceramic high-temperature probe with remote electronics handles up to 1,000°F. An FI fitting or lag can also move the electronics away from a hot wall.

Yes. PROCAP I and II provide a DPDT 10-amp relay (CompactPro is a 5-amp SPDT) that wires directly into a PLC input, alarm panel, light, horn, or motor starter. It’s a point-level (on/off) device rather than a 4–20 mA continuous output — if you need a continuous level reading, ask us about SmartBob or non-contact radar instead.

Most PROCAP units use Quick-Set calibration: two single-turn potentiometers set the sensitivity with no material in the vessel, in under 20 seconds. Calibration is stable across temperature swings and power-supply variation, so re-calibration is rarely needed. For the fastest setup, the PRO Auto-Cal model calibrates with a magnet — no cover removal at all.

Yes. William Neundorfer & Co. provides site visits across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Western New York. We’ll look at the vessel, the material and its dielectric behavior, the mounting location, and the wiring path, and you’ll have a written recommendation in your inbox within a few days.

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