Tilt Switch

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

Simple, rugged level switch for high-level and plugged-chute detection on bins, silos, conveyors, and open piles—bulk solids and powders.

BinMaster’s authorized Tilt Switch distributor for the Great Lakes region —
65 years specifying the right probe, shaft, and mount for your application.

Get an application-specific recommendation

Tell us about your vessel. Wm. Neundorfer & Co. will spec the right tilt switch—probe, shaft, and mount—for your material, environment, and application.

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

Activation

15° Tilt

Mechanical microswitch.

Measuring Range

≥ 15 lb/ft³

Reliable detection of solids and powders at or above 15 lb./ft.³

Probe Options

2 Types

Two types available.

Why the tilt switch is the simplest, lowest-cost level alarm in Great Lakes bulk handling

One moving part — nothing to calibrate

A paddle or sphere tilts when material reaches it; at 15° an internal microswitch trips. No dielectric settings, no signal to aim, no electronics to drift. Mount it, wire the contact to a light, horn, or motor starter, and it works.

Detects more than just bin level

Suspended over a conveyor, chute, or pile, the tilt switch flags plugged chutes, conveyor overload, and pile height — not only high level inside a vessel. One simple device covers points other sensors can’t reach.

Mercury-free and hazardous-location approved

The fixed-mount BM-TSM is a mercury-free mechanical design carrying C/US Class II, Division 1, Groups E, F & G and ATEX Zone 21 approvals — cleared for combustible-dust environments such as grain, coal, flour, sugar, and plastic powders.

Built to shrug off dust, and easy on the budget

A cast-aluminum housing and purely mechanical action stand up to dusty, harsh plant conditions with minimal maintenance — at a lower cost per point than electronic level sensors. The BM-TSM needs no electrical wiring inside the bin.

BinMaster Tilt Switch Silo Cutaway

Models

Two tilt switch models, chosen by how they install. Both detect solids and powders at 15 lb/ft³ or greater and trip at 15° of tilt. Not sure which fits? Tell us about your application and we’ll spec it for you.

Model Highlight Best at
BM-TSM Fixed Mount Model. Rugged mechanical tilt switch suspended over the monitored point by wire rope, chain, or hanger. Standard 18″ 316 SS shaft with a paddle or sphere probe. Ordinary locations. Conveyors, chutes, open piles, pits, and bin/hopper high-level where the device hangs above the material
BM-T Hanging Model. Stationary, mercury-free sensor with a patented motion-sensing actuator. Installs through a 1¼″ process connection on the bin top. Probe shaft built 1–8 ft. Hazardous-location approvals available. High-level detection on top of bins and silos — including combustible-dust areas (Class II / ATEX)

Still narrowing it down?

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

Configure your tilt switch to your application

Tilt switches are used over bins, conveyors, chutes, and open piles, each with different materials and densities. Probe style, shaft length, and mount are configurable to your application. Not sure which configuration fits? Tell us about your application, and we'll spec the right mount for you.

Tilt Switch Shaft (Paddle)

Type Construction Best at
Paddle 18″ 316 stainless-steel shaft + 316 SS paddle Rock, aggregate, and dense bulk solids ≥ 30 lb./ft.³
Sphere 18″ 316 stainless-steel shaft + stainless-steel sphere Lighter powders and bulk solids, roughly 15–30 lb./ft.³

BM-T

  • standard 18″ 316 SS shaft (paddle or sphere).

BM-TSM

  • probe shaft custom-built from 1 to 8 ft at BinMaster’s Lincoln, NE facility, set to the exact level you need to detect.

BM-TSM (fixed mount):

  • Installs through a standard 1¼″ process connection on the top of the bin — no electrical wiring required inside the vessel.
  • Powder-coated mounting plates in 0°, 10°, and 30° angles to match flat or sloped bin roofs.

BM-T (hanging):

  • Suspended over the control point with wire rope, chain, or a flexible hanger rated for the sensor’s weight (hanger not included).
  • Never hang the unit by its electrical cable.

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 tilt switch  keep you in the know

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

Cement and Aggregate

Cement, fly ash, slag, lime, and aggregate in batch plants, ready-mix yards, and storage. High-level alerts on silo tops and overload alerts over yard conveyors.

Common fit:
BM-TSM (Class II) on silo top; BM-T + SS paddle over aggregate conveyors and piles

Mining and Minerals

Crushed stone, salt, lime, fertilizer, and frac sand at storage silos, load-out bins, and stockpiles. Abrasive, dense bulk solids handled by the steel paddle.

Common fit:
BM-T + 316 SS paddle suspended over piles and transfer points

Grain and Feed

Corn, soybean meal, DDGs, and ground feed in elevators and feed mills. High-level alarms on bin tops; plugged-chute and overload detection at receiving pits and legs.

Common fit:
BM-TSM on bin top for high level; BM-T over conveyors for plugged chute

Power Generation

Coal, fly ash, limestone for FGD, and bottom ash. Pile and conveyor monitoring outdoors; hazardous-location high-level alerts on dust-prone bins.

Common fit:
BM-T over coal conveyors and piles; BM-TSM (Class II) for fly ash bins

Plastics and Resins

Virgin and regrind resin pellets, masterbatch, and ground polymer in silos and day tanks. Simple high-level alarm to prevent overfill during fill cycles.

Common fit:
BM-TSM for resin silo high level; sphere probe for lighter regrind

Bioenergy and Wood

Wood pellets, bark, and biomass at pellet plants and biomass-fueled facilities. Conveyor and chute monitoring; sphere probe for lighter material.

Common fit:
BM-T + sphere over pellet/biomass conveyors (15 lb./ft.³ minimum)

Don't see your exact industry?

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

FAQ

Use a tilt switch when you need a simple high-level or blockage alert above a conveyor, chute, or open pile, or when you can’t mount a sensor into the bin wall — it hangs or fix-mounts over the material and trips at 15° of tilt. Use a rotary paddle when the sensor mounts directly into a bin or hopper wall for high-, mid-, or low-level detection inside the vessel. We sell both — send us the application and we’ll give you the honest answer, not the expensive one.

The BM-T is the hanging model: suspended by wire rope, chain, or hanger over conveyors, chutes, pits, and piles, with a standard 18″ stainless shaft and a paddle or sphere probe, for ordinary (non-hazardous) locations. The BM-TSM is the fixed-mount model: it installs through a 1¼″ process connection on top of a bin or silo with a custom 1–8 ft probe shaft, is mercury-free, and carries hazardous-location approvals. Tell us where it mounts and we’ll point you to the right one.

Solids and powders with a bulk density of about 15 lb/ft³ or greater — grain, feed, cement, fly ash, sand, gravel, aggregate, salt, resin pellets, and similar. Use the steel paddle for dense materials above 30 lb/ft³ and the sphere for lighter material in the 15–30 lb/ft³ range. For very light or fluffy material below 15 lb/ft³, ask us about a vibrating probe instead.

Yes — the fixed-mount BM-TSM is mercury-free and carries C/US Class II, Division 1, Groups E, F & G and ATEX Zone 21 approvals, covering most combustible-dust environments such as grain dust, coal dust, flour, sugar, and plastic powders. The hanging BM-T is rated for ordinary locations. Confirm your specific dust classification and we’ll select the correct unit for your application.

It comes down to material density. The 316 stainless paddle is for dense, heavy materials such as rock and aggregate above 30 lb/ft³. The stainless sphere suits lighter powders and granular solids roughly in the 15–30 lb/ft³ range. Tell us your material and bulk density and we’ll match the probe.

Yes — that’s a core use. Suspend a BM-T over a conveyor and it trips when material backs up and overloads the belt; install it in or above a chute and it flags a blockage. The same device also handles high-level alerts in bins and hoppers and pile-height detection over open stockpiles.

Yes. The tilt switch is a point-level (on/off) device with a microswitch contact that wires directly to a light, horn, alarm panel, motor starter, or PLC input — it’s a dry-contact switch, not a 4–20 mA continuous output. If you need continuous level instead, ask us about SmartBob or radar.

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

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