Banner Engineering Sheds Light on Compact Spaces With Latest Releases

Banner Engineering’s newly released S15L Pro Series In-Line Status Indicator and WLR95 in-line work light are designed to give operators visibility and ease of use. Both products are compact and rugged so that they can be used regardless of an environment's size or conditions.

 

Indicator lights use flashing patterns and colors to notify an operator of an equipment's status. Image used courtesy of Banner Engineering

 

Checking Equipment Status

In most cases, a human-machine interface (HMI) informs an operator of equipment or machine status through text messages on a screen. When equipment doesn’t have an HMI, however—such as in the case of bin picking stations—indicator lights serve as an alternative to notify an operator of an equipment’s status.

Indicator lights are a great device when an automation process needs to get an operator’s attention. Indicator lights notify an operator of an equipment’s status with different flashing patterns and colors. 

 

 

With 14 colors and four animations, the S15L is designed to make machine and equipment status updates simpler. Image used courtesy of Banner Engineering

 

S15L Pro In-line Status Indicator

Building on its Snap Signal product line, Banner Engineering has designed its latest indicator light, the S15L Pro Series In-Line Status Indicator, to be easily installed into an existing Snap Signal or Modbus network. 

The S15L in-line indicator can plug directly into compatible sensors, controllers, or virtually any Modbus or serial network. The standard 4-pin M12 connector is used to transmit power, ground, RS-485 positive, and RS-485 negative. The serial communication protocol allows the user to program the S15L to display up to 14 colors and four animations.

The compact design and rugged IP65, IP67, and IP68-rated housing allow the S15L to be installed nearly anywhere. An online manual can be downloaded from Banner Engineering that outlines the Modbus registers for programming all the different features of the S15L. 

 

Lighting Compact Spaces

Illuminating compact locations can be challenging, whether inside small electrical cabinets or under work tables or conveyors. Typical industrial work lights are rather big and bulky, making it hard to illuminate small electrical enclosures. Ineffective lighting can force maintenance crews to carry flashlights, making it difficult to use both hands. Additionally, some remote control cabinets only have 24 VDC power accessible, which typically doesn’t offer much light. Banner intends to alleviate this problem with the WLR95 compact area light. 

The WLR95 is an in-line area light designed to operate in compact spaces where conventional lighting is ineffective. Image used courtesy of Banner Engineering

 

WLR95 In-line Work Light

The WLR95 Series Compact Area Light is a 12-30 VDC light that is IP65, IP67, and IP68 rated. It uses a standard M12 4-pin connector on both sides to enable daisy chaining multiple WLR95s together. With a current draw of 0.23 A at 24 VDC, the WLR95 produces 600 lumens with a color temperature of 6500 K. 

The four pins of the M12 connector are used for power, ground, and a 50% feature that can reduce light output to 50% of the maximum intensity. This feature is great for vision lighting conditions or as an initial on position while operators get used to the light. 

The body of the WLR95 has two 4.5 mm mounting holes with a pitch of 40 mm and a total width of 130 mm with the connectors. 

 

Illuminating Innovation

Having proper status updates and lighting in any location, no matter how compact, can save time and money when equipment is down. Banner Engineering's latest products are designed to alleviate the frustrations of operating in tight spaces, whether needing visibility in a small electrical cabinet or being quickly notified of equipment status.