Endress+Hauser FTI56 Solicap M Rope Level Switch for Silos

Name: Endress+Hauser FTI56 Solicap M Rope Switch | Oman
Brand: Endress+Hauser (E & H)
SKU: FTI56

Description

FTI56 Solicap M rope capacitance level switch for tall silos

The Endress+Hauser FTI56 is the rope-probe version of the Solicap M point level switch for bulk solids. A stainless steel rope of up to about 20 m hangs from the roof or side wall of a silo and ends in a tensioning weight, and the switch operates when the stored material covers the rope. It is the right shape when a rod would be too short, too heavy or impossible to install through a nozzle. Seven Star LLC supplies the FTI56 in Oman and the GCC as an independent supplier in Muscat.

Because a rope is flexible, the FTI56 carries its own set of rules about tension, anchoring and attachment that differ from the rigid FTI55. This page highlights those points and the data that must be fixed before an order.

FTI56 technical specifications

Parameter	Specification
Manufacturer / part number	Endress+Hauser / FTI56 (Solicap M point level switch, rope probe, bulk solids)
Measuring principle	Capacitive point level detection in bulk solids with εr of 2.5 or more
Process temperature	Partially insulated (PTFE rope coating): up to +180 °C; fully insulated (PA): up to +120 °C; minimum –50 °C
Process pressure	–1 to 25 bar (–14.5 to 362.5 psi), with flange and temperature derating
Rope length	Total length 500 to 20,000 mm; with inactive length 700 to 20,000 mm
Rope diameter	6 mm (8 mm with insulation) or 12 mm (14 mm with insulation)
Tensioning weight	30 mm × 150 mm for the 6 mm rope, 40 mm × 250 mm for the 12 mm rope
Tensile load capacity	30 kN for the 6 mm rope, 60 kN for the 12 mm rope (partially insulated version, at 20 °C)
Inactive length	200 to 2,000 mm, 43 mm diameter, for nozzle mounting and condensate
Ambient temperature (housing)	–50 to +70 °C; –40 °C minimum for polyester F16
Rope weight	0.18 kg/m for 6 mm rope, 0.55 kg/m for 12 mm rope; housing about 4 kg
Rope and fixtures	316 rope (1.4401), PTFE coating or PA over galvanised steel, 316L or steel process connection and weight
Separate housing	Temperature at the separate housing must not exceed 70 °C

How the FTI56 responds to material height

The rope and the silo wall form a capacitor, and a material with a relative dielectric constant of at least 2.5 raises its capacitance as the rope is covered. The electronic insert detects the calibrated capacitance and switches. Because of the length, the datasheet includes a curve showing how rope length needs to relate to the material: conductive materials such as coal give a large change over a short length, high-DK materials such as rock salt are in the middle, and low-DK materials such as dried grain need the longest rope to reach the 5 pF minimum change. The FTI56 is therefore chosen on the lowest dielectric constant you expect, not the typical one.

An inactive length near the nozzle prevents condensate or product residue from triggering a false switch, and partially insulated ropes are used only with non-conductive solids when two-point control is required for a screw conveyor or feeder.

Rope handling: tension, anchoring and shortening

The tensioning weight is always uninsulated.
The end of the rope can be anchored if it would otherwise touch the silo wall; the bracing can be conductive or insulating.
Do not overload the rope: the tensile capacity depends on diameter, and the load from sinking or collapsing material in a tall silo can be much greater than the rope’s own weight.
The rope can be shortened on site once the weight is removed, but the switch point must then be recalibrated.
Mount probes at least 500 mm apart and clear of the filling point and outlet funnel.

Electronic inserts for the FTI56

The same family of inserts used on the FTI55 and the Liquicap M switches is available for the FTI56: FEI51 (two-wire AC), FEI52 (DC PNP), FEI53 (3-wire signal to a Nivotester FTC325), FEI54 (relay, 19–253 V AC or 19–55 V DC), FEI55 (8/16 mA, SIL2 hardware and SIL3 software), FEI57S (PFM) and FEI58 (NAMUR). Switching delay is adjustable from 0.3 to 10 s on the direct-switching inserts and the output state is correct within 3 s of power-up.

Selecting the FTI56: checklist

Silo height and the distance from the roof or side nozzle to the switch height.
Lowest dielectric constant and whether the material is conductive.
Temperature at the probe: 180 °C with PTFE coating, 120 °C with PA.
Rope diameter, set by tensile load; larger silos or heavy abrasive material favour 12 mm.
Need for an inactive length (nozzle) and for anchoring at the lower end.
Output, supply and hazardous-area class, with approvals depending on the ordered version.
Roof loading and the possibility of material sliding against the rope.

Installation and service notes for the FTI56

Insulate the outer silo wall near the nozzle to avoid condensation and to keep the housing within its permitted temperature. Keep the rope out of the loading curtain and in a position where it is not struck by falling product. After installation, the switch point is calibrated by a push-button at the housing. Inspect the rope for wear and the coating for abrasion at planned shutdowns, and keep a spare electronic insert and tensioning hardware. Surge arresters and a protective cover are listed accessories.

Where the FTI56 is used in Oman and the GCC

Tall storage silos for cement, fly ash, lime, grain and aggregate are common at industrial sites in Oman and across the Gulf. The FTI56 is the practical choice when a high-level alarm or a low-level cut-off is needed in a silo with a roof nozzle and many metres of free height. Dust, heat and humidity call for sealed cable entries, and coastal installations may prefer a stainless housing.

FTI56 against the other Solicap probes

Model	Distinguishing feature
FTI55	Rigid 18 mm rod up to 4 m, up to 300 Nm lateral load
FTI56	Flexible rope up to 20 m, 180 °C partially insulated, 120 °C fully insulated
FTI77	Sword or 6 mm rope on ceramic mount, up to 400 °C

Information to send with an RFQ for the FTI56

Material, grain size and lowest dielectric constant
Silo height, diameter, wall material and nozzle position
Switch height and required rope length
Process temperature and pressure
Rope diameter, insulation and any inactive length
Output, supply voltage and hazardous-area class
Quantity and delivery site

Documents and quotation

A datasheet for the FTI56 is attached on this page. It is the Technical Information for the Solicap M FTI56, with rope dimension tables and temperature diagrams.

Send the part number FTI56 and your silo data for a quotation, and we will confirm availability and lead time for Oman and the GCC.

Datasheets & Documents

Datasheet Endress+Hauser FTI56 Datasheet Download

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About brand

Endress+Hauser makes process measurement instruments for flow, level, pressure, temperature and liquid analysis. Georg H. Endress and Ludwig Hauser started the business in Lörrach, Germany, on 1 February 1953, first selling level meters, and the Endress+Hauser name has been used since 1957. The group is headquartered in Reinach, Switzerland, and has been wholly owned by the Endress family since 1975.

Seven Star LLC is an independent supplier listing Endress+Hauser flowmeters, level and pressure transmitters, temperature assemblies and liquid analysis products for buyers in Oman and the GCC. Instruments are matched from the full order code on the nameplate.

Endress+Hauser company profile

Origin	Founded in Lörrach, Germany, on 1 February 1953 by the Swiss engineer Georg H. Endress and Ludwig Hauser
Headquarters	Endress+Hauser AG, Reinach (Basel-Landschaft), Switzerland
Ownership	Family owned; the Endress family has been the sole shareholder since 1975, and a family charter commits the company to stay family owned
Size	About 16,500 employees and sales of about EUR 3.7 billion (2023, as reported by the company)
Product families	Proline flowmeters, Micropilot and Levelflex radar, Liquiphant switches, Cerabar and Deltabar pressure, iTEMP and iTHERM temperature, Liquiline and Memosens liquid analysis

Milestones

1953: Georg H. Endress and Ludwig Hauser start the business in Lörrach on 1 February, first selling level meters.
1957: The Endress+Hauser name comes into use.
1975: The Endress family becomes sole shareholder.
2023: About 16,500 employees and sales of about EUR 3.7 billion, as reported by the company.

Endress+Hauser product lines

Line	Measuring principle	Typical use
Promass F 300, Promass 80F, 83F/84F	Coriolis mass flow	Direct mass flow and density of liquids and gases, hydrocarbon transfer and chemical dosing
Promag P 300, P 500, H 300, W 400, W 10, 50P	Electromagnetic flow	Water, wastewater, slurries and other conductive liquids
Prowirl F 200, 72F	Vortex flow	Steam, gas and low-viscosity liquids
Prosonic Flow 92F, t-mass 65F	Ultrasonic and thermal mass flow	Water lines; compressed air and industrial gases
Micropilot FMR62, FMR67, FMR60, FMR10B, FMR20, FMR50, FMR52	Free-space radar level, 80 GHz and 26 GHz	Tanks, process vessels, silos and open water channels
Levelflex FMP51, FMP50, FMP54, FMP55	Guided wave radar level	Level and interface in vessels, separators and bypass chambers
Liquiphant FTL51, Prosonic S FMU90	Vibronic point level; ultrasonic level	High and low level alarms, pump protection, open channel flow
Cerabar PMC71B, PMP51B, PMP71, Deltabar PMD78B, PMD75	Pressure and differential pressure	Process pressure, hydrostatic level and DP flow
iTEMP TMT82, TMT162, iTHERM TM101, TR66, TR10	Temperature transmitters and thermometers	RTD and thermocouple points with thermowells
Liquiline CM444, CM442, Memosens CPS11E, Stamolys reagents	Liquid analysis	pH, ORP, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and nutrient analysis in water treatment and process

Where Endress+Hauser instruments are used

In Oman and the GCC, Endress+Hauser instruments are common in oil and gas production and processing, refineries and petrochemicals, desalination and water networks, wastewater treatment, power plants and food and beverage plants. Coriolis meters measure hydrocarbon and chemical flows, electromagnetic meters cover water and wastewater, radar transmitters handle tank and silo level, and Liquiline analysers monitor water quality. Proline 300 and 500 flowmeters include Heartbeat Technology for in-situ verification, which reduces the need to remove a meter for checks.

Ordering Endress+Hauser instruments: what we need

The order code on the nameplate (for example PMP71-1QA1S11RDADU) defines every option: measuring range, process connection, materials, output, approvals and display. Send it with the serial number; Endress+Hauser can retrieve the original configuration from the serial number. For a new instrument add the medium, operating and design pressure and temperature, range, line size or tank geometry, process connection, wetted materials, output or protocol (4-20 mA HART, PROFIBUS, FOUNDATION Fieldbus, Modbus) and the hazardous-area approval required. Older models such as Promass 80/83 or Micropilot M are replaced by current Proline or 80 GHz Micropilot devices.

Facts checked against Endress+Hauser company history and product information, October 2026.

Browse Endress+Hauser products by category: Flowmeters, Level Transmitter, Pressure Instrumentation, Temperature, Liquid Analysis Sensors, Liquid Analytical Systems.

FAQ

Questions about the Endress+Hauser FTI56 Solicap M Rope Level Switch

Answers from our engineering team on installation, compatibility and integration.

01How long can the FTI56 rope be?

The datasheet lists total rope length from 500 to 20,000 mm. With an inactive length the minimum total length is 700 mm.

02What temperature can the FTI56 handle?

The partially insulated PTFE rope is rated to 180 °C and the fully insulated PA rope to 120 °C. Pressure is limited to 25 bar and depends on the flange.

03What is the difference between the FTI56 and FTI55?

The FTI55 has a rigid 18 mm rod up to 4 m, while the FTI56 uses a 6 or 12 mm rope up to 20 m for tall silos where a rod would not fit.

04Does the FTI56 rope need to be anchored?

If the rope could touch the silo wall or internals, the end should be braced using the thread in the tensioning weight. The bracing can be conductive or insulating.

05How does dielectric constant affect the FTI56?

Low-DK materials such as dried grain need a longer rope to give the minimum 5 pF capacitance change. The datasheet curve links rope length to material type.