Safeguard open danger areas and intervention points with light curtains

When is it suitable to safeguard danger areas with safety light curtains? Use safety light curtains if you want to safely monitor open access and intervention points to danger areas. Light curtains are the right choice, especially for applications where active intervention in the production process (e.g. material feed and discharge) is required.

Access guarding on robot cells

Access guarding on robot cells

You wish to safeguard access to your robot cell without using protective fences? Safety light curtains are particularly well suited when barrier-free access is required. They monitor entry into the danger zone and safely switch off the robot as soon as they detect access by a person. An acknowledgement via the controller must be provided to restart the robot.

Multi-sided safeguarding of robots

Instead of safety fences, robots can also be safeguarded with a simple combination of a pair of light curtains and two mirror columns. The mirror columns deflect the light beams of the light curtains so that one pair of light curtains is sufficient for monitoring all three accessible sides. As a result they do not only safely monitor access to the danger zone, but also save space, costs and installation time!

Robot cells

Safeguarding presses

Access guarding on presses

Robust light curtains with a rapid reaction time and a high performance level are in demand to safeguard presses. Rely on light curtains with finger protection to protect your employees against injury at the press! The press is safely stopped as soon as the light curtains detect a finger in their protected field.

Multi-sided safeguarding of press lines

There are regular tool changes on long press lines. The tools are then transported on rails to get them into or out of the press, for example. The entrance and exit area must be safeguarded in this case. Save space, costs and installation time! Simply combine a pair of light curtains with two mirror columns. The mirror columns deflect the infrared beams of the light curtains. This only requires one pair of light curtains to safeguard all three sides to be monitored!

Safeguarding of press lines

Safeguarding work stations in close proximity

Safeguarding work stations in close proximity

Light curtains may interfere with each other when several work stations are in close proximity. You wish to avoid this interference? Then use light curtains with integrated coding! Coded light curtains do not interfere with each other even in close proximity. This is particularly true if the transmitter of the first pair of light curtains emits beams in the direction of the receiver of the second pair of light curtains. In this case, you can configure the light curtain pairs with different beam codes, for example Code A and Code B.

Safeguarding conveyor belts for material supply/removal with muting

Light curtains with muting ensure problem-free operation when material is supplied or removed by a conveyor belt. This is particularly important for transporting packages in logistics centres or warehouse areas. With L-muting, transport of material is only possible in one direction (forwards). Material can be transported in both directions (forwards and backwards) using T-muting.

The package is recognised by the muting sensors and may pass through the protected field. The muting lamp lights up during this time. The speed of the conveyor belt is also monitored and the data forwarded to the controller.

Safeguarding of conveyor belts

Safeguarding material supply and removal with blanking

Safeguarding by blanking

How is it possible to hide objects that protrude into the protected field of the light curtains? Use light curtains with fixed or floating blanking!

Fixed blanking is required when objects permanently pass through the protected field and therefore interrupt the beams of the light curtain. Floating blanking is used when objects permanently penetrate the protected field while also moving, e.g. through cables, and therefore interrupt certain beams of the light curtain. Both types of blanking stop the dangerous movement when the protected field is penetrated outside of the blanked area.

Access guarding with rear access protection

You do not only require safe access to danger areas but also wish to safeguard the danger zone itself? Then you require a safety concept with rear access protection. Cascaded light curtains are ideal for this application. Use a cascading cable to connect two light curtain pairs. Several cascaded light curtains form a continuous protected field and behave like a single light curtain. Such applications do not allow acknowledgement in order to prevent a restart of the hazardous movement.

Safeguarding with rear access protection

Safeguarding space-critical applications

Safeguarding space-critical applications

Narrow light curtains are particularly useful for safeguarding production processes such as engraving or milling. Because every centimetre counts in the design! Light curtains monitor encroachment in the danger zone without requiring a lot of space. They safely switch off the machine movement when the protected field is interrupted.

Linear cascading for space-critical applications

You operate machinery with open areas into which you can reach, such as e.g. SMD assembly plants? You do not have much space for mounting safety sensors? Then use narrow light barriers to safeguard your machine! With long machines, you can cascade the light curtains longitudinally by using cascading cables and then benefit from a continuous protected field. As soon as the light curtains detect encroachment in the protected field, the plant is stopped safely.

Safeguarding by linear cascading
Contact

Pilz New Zealand
4 Prescott Street, Penrose
Auckland 1061
New Zealand

Telephone: +64 9 6345350
E-Mail: office@pilz.co.nz

Pilz New Zealand

4 Prescott Street, Penrose
Auckland 1061
New Zealand

Telephone: +64 9 6345350
E-Mail: office@pilz.co.nz

Technical Support

Telephone: +64 9 6345350
E-Mail: office@pilz.co.nz