New Products From Banner Engineering: Light Curtain and Edge Sensor

Banner Engineering has released two new products for the automation industry: The S4B series heavy-duty Type 4 safety light curtain that boasts a simple installation that maximizes uptime, and the EG24 series edge sensor that is designed for fast, high-resolution measurements.

 

S4B Series Light Curtain

The S4B is a new heavy-duty Type 4 safety light curtain designed for point-of-operation safeguarding. The light curtains are suitable for various applications, including robotic work cells, molding and power presses, assembly machines, and packaging. The S4B series light curtains are available with 14 mm (finger) or 30 mm (wrist/hand) resolutions, with a sensing range from 0.1 m (4 in) to 12 m (39ft). They are also available as eight-conductor or five-conductor systems.

 

The S4B heavy-duty safety light curtain can be used for machine guarding applications such as robotic loading cells. Image used courtesy of Banner Engineering

 

• 14 mm resolution sensors (finger detection) come in lengths of 300 mm (12 in) to 1200 mm (47 in).
• 30 mm resolution sensors (wrist/hand detection) can be purchased in lengths of 300 mm (12 in) to 1800 mm (71 in).
• Five conductor systems will require a self-checking safety device that complies with ISO 13849-1 Categories 3 or 4 and PL d or e.
• Eight conductor systems will not require an external drive when using the external device monitoring (EDM) function.

 

The S4B light curtain comes with zone indicator LEDs to aid in maintenance or troubleshooting. Image used courtesy of Banner Engineering

 

The S4B series emitter and receiver feature synchronized infrared light-emitting diodes and photodetectors that extend from end to end of each sensor, allowing for no "dead zone" or "blink zone" during operation. Banner's S4B series light curtains can be purchased with lens shields for protection in harsh environments or glass-surface mirrors that can be used to "bend" the light around corners. However, these items will reduce the range by up to 10% when used. Up to four pairs of emitters and receivers of any length or resolution can be combined into cascade chains using the RD cord sets available from Banner.

The S4B light curtains also come with three LED zone indicators that aid in troubleshooting by indicating when the beam is aligned and clear (green), blocked or misaligned (red), or has a weak beam strength (yellow), which could indicate a malfunctioning device or a dirty lens.

 

EG24 Series Edge Sensors

Banner has launched a new high-resolution retroreflective sensor with three different modes, making it suitable for almost any edge-sensing application. The EG24 edge sensors have a 40 mm sensing distance with a 24 mm wide beam. They are available with or without the removable retroreflective arm and come with retroreflective tape. For optimal performance, the tape must be mounted 30 to 40 mm away from the lens.

 

The EG24 retroreflective edge measurement sensor uses a 24 mm beam to ensure precise positioning or measurement to minimize waste and improve quality. Image used courtesy of Banner Engineering

 

The single edge mode is used when presenting the sensor with a single edge of the material being fed through the sensor. The EG24 can be used in applications where precise positioning is essential to prevent excessive material waste in cutting, layering, or alignment tasks, thereby increasing operational efficiency and preventing material costs.

The width measurement mode can be used for smaller types of material like bars or tubes. In this mode, the EG24 measures the distance between the two outermost edges and sets a 4-20 mA signal based on the width of the beam. This mode allows the sensor to ensure the quality of components by measuring material dimensions, detecting crimps or breaks, or determining coating thickness.

 

The EG24 can be programmed using single edge tracking (top left), width mode (top right), or gap mode (bottom). Image used courtesy of Banner Engineering

 

The gap measurement mode can be used for a variety of applications, from quality control to automation control. This mode functions similarly to the measurement mode, using a 4-20 mA signal to determine hole size or to check if a specific feature is present.