Safety light curtain

October 2004 Sensors & Transducers Integrated Solutions Residential Estate (Industry)

With suppression of individual segments in variable locations, the Sick C4000 Advanced safety light curtain, available from Rhomberg, offers maximum flexibility.

Opto-electronic safety systems protect machine operators from potentially dangerous access to machines that are in operation. At the same time, however, production processes can mean that part of a work-piece, insertion or removal equipment can jut out into the protective field. Depending on the production order in hand, the C4000 Advanced can suppress single beams of the light curtain (blanking) regardless of their position.

Programming of the blanking area is carried out by directly teaching-in objects at the C4000 Advanced using the teach-in process. The blanking area need not be tied to a position. Only the number of C4000 Advanced beams that are to be blanked is defined; the particular beams actually involved depend on the application. This makes the blanked area mobile: so depending on the production batch, different positions of the slide can be blanked out flexibly, without the safety function of the light curtain being adversely affected. The blanking can also be programmed in such a way that two beams are always blanked out. The operator defines which two these are by pushing a cover plate over the transmitter optics of the C4000 Advanced. This achieves the safe definition of those beams that are not to be affected by the parts sliding through, or the vibrations of the slide. The hazardous movement of the press is immediately brought to a stop if any other beam is interrupted.

For more information contact Patrick Pitts, Rhomberg, 011 444 5444, patrickp@rhomberg.co.za

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