Instrumentation Monthly Test | Measurement | Control
The Schmersal Group has developed a new product line for safety light grids and curtains. The new product line – SLC/SLG 440 IP69K – is said to be resistant to all daily cleaning processes prevalent in hygiene-sensitive sectors, such as the food industry, pharmaceuticals and meat and milk processing.
Thanks to a sophisticated, detailed design, this product line achieves the protection rating IP69K and is thus protected against ingress of water during close-range high-pressure and high-temperature spray downs. This means that the seals on this active opto-electronic protective device (AOPD) meet very strict requirements and are able to withstand frequent cleaning with water, alkali solutions, foam, hot steam or high-pressure jets. The new AOPD product line has also been created based on the principles of hygienic design.
The SLC/SLG 440 IP69K locking caps are manufactured in stainless steel (V4A) as are the cable inlet and the fastening parts. Made of polycarbonate (PC), the transparent protective tubes not only offer high resistance to cleaning agents, but also withstand strong mechanical loads. If spray lances should accidentally strike the SLC/SLG 440 IP69K’s enclosure during pressure washing in food production or a transport should collide with the enclosure, the safety and protection function will continue to work thanks to the robust protective tubes.
The material is said to guarantee greater availability and a long service life for safety light curtains and grids, and allows a compact design for encapsulated safety sensors since the protective tubes are just 50mm in diameter. The independent testing laboratory Ecolab has verified the high resistance in these components’ materials.
Other characteristics in the AOPD product line include additional functions such as double confirmation, contactor control and integrated beam blanking, which allows moving parts to be conveyed through the protection field without triggering the stop signal. Another practical function is the dirt indicator. A visual warning message is displayed if the sensor reception signal becomes weaker. This allows the user to take action before the machine comes to an unscheduled standstill.
Schmersal will be at SPS IPC Drives in Nuremberg between 27th and 29th November 2018: Stand 460, Hall 9
Tel: 01684 571980
