Safety light curtains with integral test mechanisms

Siemens Automation and Drives (A&D) offers a new range of safety light curtains for protecting personnel and machinery. The Type 2 light curtains from the Simatic Sensors product range perform monitoring functions at resolutions of 20, 30, 40 and 90 millimeters. They cover protective field heights of 150 to 1800 millimeters, and have integral test mechanisms as well as startup/restart inhibit and contactor control.

This removes the need for the previously commonplace external test monitoring and evaluation devices, as well as the often extensive wiring overhead and additional control cabinet space they required. Typical areas of application of the new Type 2 light curtains include printing machinery, woodworking machinery, paper processing, textile and packaging machinery, as well as pick-and-place machines, and warehouse and conveyor systems.

The new products comply with the safety standards IEC/EN 954-1 (Category 2), IEC/EN 61496-1 (Type 2) and EN 61508 (SIL 2), as well as risk assessment in accordance with pr EN ISO 13489. The self-diagnostics system with 7-segment display simplifies startup and high-speed diagnostics on-site. The 7-segment display and several LEDs indicate the status of the safe outputs and any weak reception signal during operation. Patented encoding procedures for optical signal transmission guarantee noise-free operation for neighboring devices. The modern ASIC and signal processor technology is integrated into a rugged and rigid aluminum housing and can withstand the harsh conditions of day-to-day industrial use. The light curtains can be adjusted simply and quickly with self-arresting sliding blocks and swiveling brackets. Brackets with additional vibration damping are available as accessories.

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