Security light curtain gets smarter and smarter

Industrial automation becomes efficient only when adequate attention is paid to the safety of people and the environment. In this context, Vierpool recently introduced the SH4 series of safety light curtains. A new generation suitable for a wide range of sectors, ranging from the automotive and manufacturing and packaging industries to (intra)logistics. Due to the modular structure and various functionalities, the light curtains can be seamlessly adapted to the specific application.

Vierpool has been a supplier of solutions and products for industrial automation and Auto-ID for nearly fifty years. A separate department is set up for sensors, safety, machine vision and identification. A recent addition to the program is the new line of SH4 safety light curtains from Datasensing. Marco de Jong is Sales & Account Manager at Vierpool and knows: "The safety light curtains look very similar from the outside, but are available with different functionalities and versions for walk-in protection, hand protection or finger protection. There is also a choice of manual or automatic reset of the safety light curtain."

Technical specifications

The entire SH4 series meets both protection class IP65 and IP67 and is thus also resistant to cleaning with water as used in the food industry. Furthermore, the safety light curtains are suitable for use at temperatures from -30 to 55°C (cold and freezing rooms) and shock and vibration resistant. Notable is the fact that the detection area is 100%, which prevents "dead zones. This also makes the light curtains flexible for use in small installation spaces, with a detection height ranging from 300 to 2,250 mm in 150-mm increments. The advantage of this is that the light curtains can be placed even closer to the hazardous area of a machine and do not take up unnecessary surface area.

De Jong: "When you talk about advanced and intelligent, this is reflected in the 'muting' functionality with these light displays. With the Dynamic Patrial Muting function, it is possible to distinguish whether there is a person or goods on a pallet."

Easy installation

The light curtains work with alignment lasers that are fully integrated. This simplifies the installation of the light screen and also enables applications with mirrors and large working distances of up to 70 meters. In addition, the light screens are easy to configure wirelessly via a Wi-Fi connection with a PC, tablet or cell phone. Maintenance has also been kept as simple as possible, with clearly visible LEDs indicating status and the SH4 Designer app displaying all status messages. Through the same app, the intensity of each light beam is also visible. Furthermore, all transmitters and receivers have been tested separately, allowing spare parts to be organized more efficiently and, in case of repairs, only the defective part needs to be replaced.

Finally, the many options and modular construction make it possible to easily expand or adapt the light curtains when the application demands it. This with the same mechanics and optical modules. De Jong: "This applies to a multitude of industrial applications. For example, in the assembly lines of the automotive industry, in robot applications, in packaging lines and in (intra)logistics. Feel free to inquire about the possibilities to keep your automated processes maximally accessible yet safe."

Visit Vierpool at the WoTS - Booth number 11D062