Automated machinery can provide companies in industrial industries more flexibility and higher production rates. But because of the potential for injury caused by these systems, safety is a top priority when utilizing this technology. To protect personnel from automated machinery, opto-electric protective devices, such as safety light curtains, can be used. Primarily, the light curtains will provide point of operation, area, and access protection to ensure the safety of people and machines. They can also be used for automation tasks such as measuring and detection.
With these capabilities in mind, there are many applications where safety light curtains are ideal to improve safety and production, including:
1. End-of-line packaging:
When completing stretch wrapper, palletizer, and robotic pick/place processes, light curtains are a good option. Oftentimes, safety and automation work against one another, but with the deTec4 safety light curtain you can keep production high, thanks to its muting functionality that allows objects to enter and exit the hazardous zone, yet keep personnel out. With easy installation and commissioning, end-of-line packaging plants can be up and running safely in no time.
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2. OEM Machine Builders:
During the production of large equipment and machines, it can be challenging to create a safe, yet productive, work environment. Light curtains can be applied to processes such as presses/press brakes, wood cutting/sawmill, and robotic welding/turntables to solve some of these challenges. With reduced resolution, you can ensure that material will consistently feed into the machine without stopping production. In addition, smart presence detection is a great way to avoid halts due to small material falling through the protective field.
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3. Automotive Body/Assembly, Integrators, and Powertrain Manufacturing:
In automotive parts production, light curtains can be used to protect personnel that operate robot welding cells or turntable applications. Light curtains, like SICK’s deTec4, can provide smart presence detection that enables guest units to be in sleep mode until the host is infringed. Additionally, comprehensive diagnostic and troubleshooting capabilities are available, both onsite and remotely.
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4. Tire Manufacturing:
Personnel operating in tire molding or turret processes can be protected with dynamic protective field widths that allow the light curtain sender and receiver to move closer together or farther apart, without having to change parameters. It can also ignore small objects floating through the protective field, which is especially good for a dirty environment that causes nuisance tripping. SICK’s deTec4 safety light curtains are small and compact, but loaded with versatile, intelligent safety functions that will help optimize your operations.
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SICK’s deTec4 safety light curtains are small and compact, but loaded with versatile, intelligent safety functions that will help optimize your operations.
