Safety Light Curtains | KEYENCE America

A safety light curtain is a sensing device designed to protect personnel from injury. These devices are most commonly used in factory automation for machine ... tcm:26-138260-64 Home Products Safety SafetyLightCurtains ProductCategories Sensors PhotoelectricSensors FiberOpticSensors LaserSensors InductiveProximitySensors PositioningSensors VisionSensors NetworkCommunicationUnits SpecificSolutionSensors MeasurementSensors LaserProfiler LaserDisplacementSensors OpticalMicrometer/LaserMicrometer 3DInterferenceMeasurementSensor SpectralInterferenceDisplacementSensor InductiveDisplacementSensors LVDT/ContactDisplacementSensors(Probes) MeasurementSystems OpticalComparators 3DScanner CMM/LaserTracker Safety SafetyLightCurtains SafetyLaserScanners SafetyInterlockSwitches SafetyController ProcessControls/ProcessSensors FlowSensors/FlowMeters PressureSensors TemperatureSensors LevelSensors StaticEliminators/Ionizers StaticEliminators/Ionizers ElectrostaticSensors Vision VisionSystems VisionSensors Controls PLC(Modular/High-speedtype) PLC(Connectortype/Terminal-blocktype) HMI Motors OtherControls LaserMarkingSystems/ContinuousInkjetPrinters LaserMarkingSystems/LaserMarkers IndustrialContinuousInkjetPrinters/CIJPrinters Microscopes/LaserMicroscopes DigitalMicroscopes 3DSurfaceProfiler FluorescenceMicroscopes OpticalProfilometers ElementalAnalyzer BarcodeReaders BarcodeScanners HandheldScanners HandheldComputers HandheldComputers DataAcquisition DAQ/DataLoggers SafetyLightCurtains Safetylightcurtainsaresafetydevicesthatcreateavirtualbarrieraroundahazard.ThesedevicesmeetthehighestsafetystandardsofType4,SIL3,Category4,andPLe.Integrationisefficientandeasywiththeminimalfootprint,durablehousing,andoptionsforreducedwiring.EachmodelachievesthehighenclosureratingofIP65/IP67. DownloadCatalogs IncludeDiscontinuedSeries Lineup SafetyLightCurtain GL-Rseries Thisseriesisdurableandsimple.Highpower,recessedlens,andanextrudedaluminumframeeliminatenuisancetripsandoffersustainedprotection.Easyintegrationwithfulllengthindicators,built-inalignment,andmultiplewiringoptions. Catalogs Price ViewDetails Features STRONG-RuggedExteriorIncreasesLife&DecreasesDowntime TheruggedmetalhousingandrecessedlensmaketheGL-Rresistanttotwisting,vibration,andevendirectimpact.Additionally,itshighpower(49'+ofrange)andincreasedenclosureratings(IP65/IP67)allowtheGL-Rtowithstandthemostdemandingenvironments. SIMPLE-LessWiring,LessHardware,LessWork Abuilt-incontroller,uniquewiringoptions,andoptionalsafetyrelaywithquickconnectcablesgreatlycontributetothesimplicityoftheGL-RSeries.Setupisfurthersimplifiedwithquickfitbracketsandtoolsthatensurealignment. SafetyLightCurtain GL-Sseries Thisserieshasanultra-thinhousingwithmultiplewiringoptionsandhighlyvisibleindicators.Idealfortightspacesandeasytointegrate. Catalogs Price ViewDetails Features SeamlessIntegrationIntoEquipment TheGL-SSeriesoffersaslimorflatbodystyletomakeintegrationintoequipmentseamless.Additionally,theselightcurtainsarehalfthesizeofconventionalcurtains. QuickandEasyInstallation Built-inmountingbracketsandsimplifiedwiringmakeinstallationquickandeasy. SafetyLightCurtain SL-Vseries Thisseriesoffersguardedandslimmodelswithanoptionalsafetyrelay. Catalogs Price DiscontinuedSeries SafetyLightCurtain SL-Cseries Discontinued WhatisaSafetyLightCurtain? Asafetylightcurtainisasensingdevicedesignedtoprotectpersonnelfrominjury.Thesedevicesaremostcommonlyusedinfactoryautomationformachinesafeguarding.Unliketypicalphotoelectricsensors,safetylightcurtainsmonitorthemselvesthroughredundantsignalsandwillstopthehazard(ex.machine)ifaninternalfaultisdetected. HowdoSafetyLightCurtainswork? Asafetylightcurtainusesanarrayofphotoelectricsensorsthat,wheninterrupted,willsendasignaltostopamachineorhazardifanareaisbreached.Unliketypicalphotoelectricsensors,safetylightcurtainsmonitorthemselvesthroughredundantsignalsandwillstopthehazard(ex.machine)ifaninternalfaultisdetected. WhatisaSafetyLightCurtainusedfor? Safetylightcurtainsaredesignedtoprotectpersonnelfrominjury,mostcommonlyinamanufacturingsetting.Inadditiontoprotectingpersonnel,safetylightcurtainscanalsosafeguardmachinesfromdamage.Bothoftheseapplicationsaremostoftenreferredtoas"machineguarding." BenefitsofSafetyLightCurtains Benefit1ofsafetylightcurtains:Safetyperformancethatmeetsthehigheststandards KEYENCEsafetylightcurtainsmeetType 4requirementsestablishedbytheIEC 61496-1/UL 61496-1safetystandards.Assuch,thesedevicesoffersuperiorsafetyperformanceforuseaselectro-sensitiveprotectionequipment(ESPE). DesignedtomeetIEC 61496-1/2requirements,KEYENCEsafetylightcurtainshavebeenevaluatedandcertifiedbyathirdpartyasofferingsuperiorsafetyperformance.Suchstandardsrequiredevicestohaveaself-diagnosisfunctionfordetectinganinternalfault. LightcurtainsthatmeetType 4requirementsarerecognizedasofferingthehighestsafetyperformancepossible.Inparticular,theself-diagnosisfunctionisalwaysenabled,andintheeventofamalfunction,thecurtainentersanerrorstatetoensurethesafetyofpersonnelandequipment. Benefit2ofsafetylightcurtains:Simplifiedinstallation/integrationandoptical-axisalignment Installationandalignmentofsafetylightcurtainsareeasythankstotheslimdesignandwiderangeofmountingbrackets.Lightcurtainsarealsomoreflexiblethansafetyfencesorhardguardingandrequirelessefforttoopen/close.Thismakessafetylightcurtainsidealforensuringsafetyonmachinesthatrequirefrequentaccess. Topreventworkersfromenteringahazardousarea,safetyprecautionstypicallyinvolveusingsafetyfencesorguardsaroundmachines.However,openingandclosingthesedevicesmayhinderefficiencyifthemachineisfrequentlyaccessedfortoolingchanges,loading/unloadingproducts,etc. Safetylightcurtainsallowuserstoaccessmachinesquickly,safely,andefficiently.Theslimdesign,widevarietyofmountingbrackets,andbuilt-inalignmentmakeinstallationeasy.Thismeanscurtainscanbeinstalledinawiderangeoflocationsandeasilyadaptedtolayoutchanges. Withsafetylightcurtainsofferingnon-contactmonitoring,theycommonlyhaveamuchlongerservicelifethanmechanicaldoorswitchesorotherdevicesthatrequireopening/closing.Unlikesimilarproducts,thesedevicesprovidesuperiorsafetyandreliabilityoverlongerperiodsoftime. Benefit3ofsafetylightcurtains:Robustandenvironmentallyresistantdesignforgreaterreliability Safetylightcurtainsaregenerallyinstalledatequipmentopenings,exposingthemtodirt/debris,liquids,andevendirectimpact.KEYENCElightcurtains,however,incorporatearobust,environmentallyresistantdesignforgreaterreliabilityeveninharshenvironments. Withasafetylightcurtain,detectionisnotpossibleifthetransmitterandreceiverarenotaligned.Detectionissuescanariseafterinstallationstemmingfromdirectimpactorequipmentvibrations.Thismeansboththesafetylightcurtainandthemountingbracketmustberobustenoughtopreventdamage.KEYENCEsafetylightcurtainsarenotonlycompliantwiththeIP65/67enclosureprotectionspecificationsestablishedbyIEC 60529butarealsoresistanttowater,oil,orotherliquids. Thelarge,high-powerlensesalsohelppreventmalfunctionsevenifthedetectionsurfaceisexposedtowateroroilsplashesforsafeuseeveninharshmanufacturingsiteenvironments. SafetyLightCurtainCaseStudies SafetyLightCurtainCaseStudiesbyUse Safetyprecautionforpresses Infactorieswherestampingpressesareused,safeoperationneedstobeensuredthroughoutthefacilitybyprovidingappropriatehealthandsafetytraining,appointingsupervisors,andconductingtargetedvoluntaryinspections.Eventhen,however,thepossibilityofwork-relatedinjuriesaroundpressescannotbecompletelyeliminated. Safetyprecautionsforpressesinvolveinstallingsafetylightcurtainsatthepressbreak.Ifthesafetylightcurtainisblocked,thepressisstoppedandthemachinecannotrestartuntilthelightcurtainisclear,therebyguaranteeingworkersafety. SafetyprecautionsforSCARArobots(horizontalmulti-jointrobots) Becauseoftheircompactdesignandhighoperatingspeed,SCARArobotsarecommonlyinstalledinmanufacturingfacilities.However,duetolimitedinstallationspace,therobotscanbedangerousifoperatedwhileapersonisinsidetheenclosure.Workersenteringtransferareasbetweenmachinescanalsobeasafetyconcern. SafetyprecautionsforSCARArobotsinvolvestoppingtherobotandpreventingaccidentalstartup.Safetyinterlockswitchescanbeusedtomonitorthestatussothattherobotstopsifthedoorisopened.Safetylightcurtainscanmonitortransferareasbetweenequipmentandstopthetransferifaworkerentersthearea. Safetyprecautionsfor6-axisrobots Understandingtherangeofa6-axisrobotinmotioncanbeincrediblydifficult,makingapproachingtherobotdangerous.Conductingequipmentmaintenanceneararobotisparticularlyrisky.Tominimizethisriskasmuchaspossible,multiplesafetyprecautionsareneeded. Ifaworkeropensadoororblocksasafetylightcurtain,therobotisstopped.Safetylaserscannerscanalsobeusedtodetectthepresenceofworkerswithinthesafetyzone. Insuchsituations,robotoperationwillbepossibleonlyaftertheworkerhasleft,thedoorisclosed,andthelightcurtainisnolongerblocked.Evenafteralltheserequirementsaremet,workersshouldstillperformasafetycheckfromoutsidetheenclosurebeforerestartingthemachine. FrequentlyAskedQuestionsAboutSafetyLightCurtains Arelightcurtainseasytoinstall? TheGLfamilyoflightcurtainsprovideavarietyofoptions.Thehigh-poweredGL-RSeriesincludesawideselectionofpre-assembledmountingbracketsaswellasbuilt-inalignmentindicators.ThecompactdesignoftheGL-SSeriesallowsforinstallationinnarrowandtightspaces. Threewiringsystemsareavailable.Ouropticalsynchronizationandone-linesystemsofferreducedwiringwhilewiredsynchronizationoffersadditionalfunctionalitywhenneeded. Willthemachinestopifthelightintensitydecreases? Conventionallightcurtainsrequireregularmaintenancetopreventstoppagesandotherproblemsduetodecreasedreceivedlightintensity.Suchdecreasescanbecausedbymisalignment(duetoimpactorvibration)orbycontaminationfromoilordust. Eitherscenariocanreducetheamountofreceivedlightenoughtotriggerthelightcurtaintostopthemachine. TherobustdesignoftheGL-RSerieslightcurtainpreventsmisalignmentwhilealsoensuringstabledetectionevenwhenoilordustadherestothelens.Notonlydoesthishelppreventunexpectedstoppagesbutalsotheneedforfrequentmaintenance. Whatisthedifferencebetweenanon-safetyratedareasensorandasafetylightcurtain? Thereisacriticaldifferencebetweenareasensorsthatarenotsafetyratedandasafetylightcurtain.Ifaninternalfault/erroroccursinasafetylightcurtain,theself-diagnosisfunctiondetectstheproblemandthesafetylightcurtainwillenteranerrorstateandstopthemachine.Areasensorsdonotgenerallyhaveaself-diagnosisfunction,soevenifafault/erroroccursinthedevice,thesensorcouldstillallowthemachinetooperatecreatingadangeroussituation.KEYENCErecommendssafetyrateddevices,suchassafetylightcurtains,inanysituationwherethereisachanceofinjury. KnowledgeAboutSafetyLightCurtains Thissiteincludesinformationonmachinesafetystandardsandmanagingrisk.LearnaboutISOinternationalstandards,riskassessment,andotherimportantsafetytopics. MoreDetails IntroductiontoSafetyStandards RiskAssessment TheIdeaofPerformanceLevel BeforeSelectingSafetyEquipment RelatedDownloads OfferingHigherUsabilitySafetySensorFunctionsGuide ThisguideintroducesthemainfeaturesofGL-R,GL-S,andSL-VSeriessafetylightcurtainsaswellasadviceonselectingtherightmodel—amust-readforanyonelookingtopurchasesafetycurtains.BrowseKEYENCE’swidevarietyofsafetylightcurtainstofindamodelthatbestmeetsyourneeds. TechnicalGuides SafetySupportGuideBook Thisguidebookintroducesawiderangeofsafetyinformation,includingmachinesafetystandards(formanufacturingequipmentandothermachines),thePerformanceLevel(PL)classificationusedfordefiningriskassessmentandsafetyfactors,andspecificsafetydevices. TechnicalGuides Home Products Safety SafetyLightCurtains (/)