An evolution in size, coupled with a revolution in application optimisation and flexibility, are the characteristic features of the new compact S300 series of safety laser scanners from SICK. The main beneficiaries will include stationary machines with hazardous areas as well as small portable platforms and difficult-to-secure transport vehicles.
The trump card of the S300 Mini is its compact height of only 116 mm, meaning the device can be installed with minimal space requirements. The series is so flexibly designed in order to satisfy the demands of a broad variety of user requirements and application conditions. It also meets the safety requirements of Performance Level d in accordance with EN ISO 13849 and of SIL2 in accordance with IEC 61508, and complies with the requirements for opto-electronic protective devices according to Type 3 of the IEC 61496.
Ease-of-use and challenging applications
Whether applied to area protection for stationary machines or object detection for automated guided vehicles, safety solutions that can be enabled are becoming ever more intelligent. One trend is towards the greatest possible flexibility – which can be achieved for safety laser scanners by means of a large number of usable monitored and protective fields. Another is towards designs which are as small as and as simple as possible. This trend is driven by applications which have the sole aim of achieving reliable personal protection or collision protection with the aid of safety-certified sensors. One field set is sufficient, one output signal switching device is enough, and additional automation functions are generally not required. Examples include the use of pressure sensitive mats or path monitoring for the kind of small rail-borne vehicles used in high rack warehouses for pallet sorting or storage optimisation. This vehicle segment, with its AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) and AGCs (Automated Guided Carts), is a particularly fast growing market.
The S300 Mini Standard
SICK designed the S300 Mini Standard as a basic safety solution for stationary and portable applications in which the minimum space-requirement is critical. The 270° protective field has a scanning range of 2 m, within which a triple field set can be programmed with one protective field and two warning zones. This safety-certified device has one OSSD pair (output signal switch device) as a direct switching output to the machine or vehicle control. The cable lug is designed such that an optimum output is guaranteed in every assembly situation. Pure safety, as offered by the S300 Mini Standard, is demanded in numerous simple tasks. As demonstrated, for instance, by the use of the S300 Mini Standard as a non-wearing replacement for tactile pressure sensitive mats, as protection for rail-borne transfer platforms for pallets or mesh boxes, as a space-saving solution for AGCs, or as a safety sensor for the rear and side protection of larger automated guided vehicles.
S300 Mini Remote
The S300 Mini Remote safety laser scanner combines minimum installation space with an ability to meet the requirements of more complex safety applications. The device enables the realisation of up to 16 triple field sets and up to 32 monitoring cases – more than enough even for the most sophisticated applications, which commonly require a situation-specific response to different environmental conditions, as in the case of automated guided systems. Though they are identical in appearance and have the same scanning angle and scanning range, the remote version is clearly distinguished from the standard version by its numerous automation possibilities. Instead of local OSSDs, the S300 Mini Remote is equipped with the latest generation of the EFI interface (enhanced function interface), with the EFI extended by the FlexiSoft safety control from SICK and standard operating software, it is now possible for up to four pieces of electro-sensitive protective equipment, e.g., two S3000 Expert and two S300 Mini Remote, to be combined in a network with the EFI extended interface and thereby to implement complex protection tasks. This has a range of advantages. Networking by means of EFI extended reduces the amount of wiring required and simplifies the installation. FlexiSoft becomes the central I/O module for the configuration and diagnosis of all connected safety laser scanners and becomes the central system interface for the higher-level system control or vehicle control. Moreover, expansion modules allow the integration of various tactile, electromagnetic, and non-contact safety sensors from SICK’s broad product range – or even from other manufacturers. During operation, the secure network permits intelligent switching of the field sets of the individual scanners depending on the respective operational statuses, speeds, and secondary conditions.
Concrete application examples of S300 Mini Remote safety laser scanners which are networked via FlexiSoft/EFI extended include unmanned forklift trucks and rail-borne lateral distributors, whose paths and movement areas must be monitored to prevent collisions with persons or obstacles. S300 Mini Remote, with its large number of monitoring cases, offers the advantage of field sets which can be switched dynamically or depending on the drive path, resulting in a combination of maximum safety and the greatest possible vehicle efficiency. Moreover, additional safety sensors are also commonly involved, including emergency stop button, reset switch, or even stationary protective devices such as light curtains, which are also evaluated via FlexiSoft. Stationary solutions are also possible with the S300 Mini; for example, the protection of thermoforming presses that can be accessed from many sides and on which work pieces of different sizes can be processed. Either necessitates the integration of several devices in a FlexiSoft network via EFI extended, and the setup of several field sets and monitoring cases on the safety laser scanners.
Complete product range for stationary and portable safety solutions
SICK’s safety technology product range basically includes two series of safety laser scanners: The modular S3000 with protective field ranges of up to 7 m and warning zones with a depth of up to 49 m, and the compact S300 or S200 with a 270° scanning angle, protective field ranges of up 2 m, and an 8 m warning zone. More than a dozen device versions with various performance characteristics and fittings cover practically every requirement of stationary and portable applications. With the S300 Mini, the product range has been expanded to incorporate applications for which a compact design or minimal installation height is of primary importance. Finally, the fact that most of the safety laser scanners in the product range can be used in combination, thanks to the FlexiSoft safety controller and the EFI interface, is ideal for many applications. It enables customised safety solutions with the lowest possible integration and operating costs.
For more information contact Mark Madeley, SICK Automation Southern Africa, +27 (0)11 472 3733, [email protected], www.sickautomation.co.za
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