The rise of robots has ushered in an increased demand for light curtains that provide a safe environment between the robotic work cells and the rest of the plant. The Allen-Bradley GuardShield 450L safety light curtain system from Rockwell Automation is a flexible, cost-effective solution that enhances safety while improving productivity through innovative transceiver technology.
“Users will see significant advantages throughout the lifecycle of the new light curtain system, but especially during installation and operation,” said Christo Buys, business manager control systems, Rockwell Automation Sub-Saharan Africa.
The integrated laser alignment system (ILAS) of the new GuardShield 450L-E reduces installation time by providing multiple visible laser points that optimise setup with a simple touch of the ILAS symbol on the front window of the stick. Plus, the compact design and full-length protective field make it easy to integrate hand and finger protection system applications from 150 mm up to 1950 mm, in increments of 150 mm.
After start-up, users can leverage advanced features and functionality, including cascading, and built-in muting and blanking, to enhance flexibility while maintaining the highest level of safety.
The advanced muting and blanking functions of the light curtain are easily set up through DIP switches located on the dedicated plug-in modules. Common muting set ups like 4-sensor or 2-sensor with L and T-configuration, as well as an override function, can be selected along with reduced resolution or teach-in fixed blanking. A cascading plug-in can also be installed for series connection of additional GuardShield 450L systems, enabling multi-sided machine guarding.
All these special functions, combined with the inherent flexibility of the transceiver design, help to simplify engineering logistics and minimise the stock required to address the full range of applications.
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