Safety Light Curtains - IFM Efector Inc

ifm introduces a new line of compact, low-profile safety light curtains that can provide finger, hand and body protection in a variety of industrial applications. ifm Type 4 light curtains provide a multi-beam barrier of infrared light in front of a hazardous area. If any of the beams are blocked by an object, such as a finger or a hand, the light curtain sends a signal to the machine to place it in a safe state. ifm light curtains are offered in protective heights of 160 mm to 1510 mm in increments of 150 mm. The light curtain’s slim housing design measures only 28 x 30 mm that fits easily in an application for less intrusive mounting. Simple installation does not require software or control boxes and meets the highest maximum achievable safety level requirements according to IEC61496; SIL 3, SILcl 3 and PL e.  Options are available for muting and blanking applications. Starting list price for the Type 4 safety light curtains is $679.00 (US). 

ifm’s Type 4 light curtain continuously monitors itself for faults. A tight effective aperture angle of 2.5° reduces risk of optical short circuits, and the curtains include duplicate critical components and circuits in order to provide a back-up system should the primary system fail. Reset functionality and protected area width are configured without the use of DIP switches or complex software.  Redundant safety rated solid-state outputs ensure fast response time. Bright LEDs indicate power, system status and fault conditions. Power is achieved with an industry standard M12 connection. ifm light curtains can be used in a variety of industrial applications including assembly automation, machine tool, automated storage systems, packaging, metal fabrication, and material handling. The 24 VDC units have a protection rating of IP65 / IP67 and an infrared light of 950 nm.