The C4000 Fusion safety light curtain is electro-sensitive protective equipment complying with Performance Level “e” according to EN ISO 13849 and SIL3 in line with IEC 61508 and can be used for the horizontal or vertical protection of hazardous points-of-operation. The system concept permits economical and customer-specific protection of access to machines and plant integrated in automatic transport circulatory systems for which reliable differentiation between humans and materials is vital. Whereby the C4000 Fusion focuses on applications in which optoelectronic, and thus barrier-free, protection is desired for process-related reasons, but has hitherto failed to provide the necessary process availability because of the risk of contamination or other environmental conditions. This applies, for example, for wood-processing works: a range of tasks involving transport systems can now be solved here with the C4000 Fusion – efficiently, in terms of both safety and the processes involved – despite the risk of sporadic contamination or problems caused by sawdust, wood shavings or splinters.
Intelligent method of function for maximum availabilityAt first glance, the C4000 Fusion operates like many other safety light curtains: the “safe protective field” generated by the transmitter and the receiver detects a person or their limb and immediately switches the machine off. This switching-off is triggered by the interruption of one or more light beams – a principle that quickly brings “normal” light curtains up against their limits when they are used in harsh environments and exposed to correspondingly high risks of contamination. The consequence: uncontrolled responses by safety equipment, minimised machine availability and, ultimately, the risk of employees circumventing the protective equipment because of insufficient acceptance.
This is not the case with the C4000 Fusion! Here, three features or functions ensure maximum availability: the Multiscan process, reduced resolution and redundant transmitter-receiver synchronisation. Multiscan is based on an increase in the scanning rate, i.e. querying the uninterrupted light paths of the individual transmitter elements as well as the intelligent evaluation of scan results. This allows the system to reliably distinguish between whether an arm or a person is interrupting individual beams of the protective field or whether, for example, falling wood shavings are responsible. In addition, this process supports reduced resolution of the protective field down to 300 mm, i.e. allows process-oriented and ergonomic adjustment of the light curtain to body or hand protection. The advantage: operation-related reaching into the machine is tolerated whilst leaning in with the upper torso leads to a safe machine stop. Finally, the redundant synchronisation of the C4000 Fusion contributes towards maximum availability because electronic co-ordination of the transmitter and receiver modules takes place within the light curtain via several light beams.
Economic efficiency and long-term investment protectionNowadays, it is no longer possible to consider the functional safety and process-oriented adaptability of a safety solution as technical arguments without also examining economic efficiency. The C4000 Fusion meets the demand of minimising the total cost of ownership in many ways. Thus, the system consists of just two components, the transmitter and the receiver, with integrated evaluation. Neither secondary sensors nor additional control or signalling elements are required for human-material differentiation. This leads to considerable cost savings during installation and electrical connection of the system – particularly as synchronisation of the two system components does not involve any cables, but is achieved optically. The integrated laser alignment aid (activated simply by touching the transmitter’s front panel) and the 7-segment indicator for user-friendly visualisation of status and diagnostic information ensure maximum ease during system setup as well as during operation. Finally, both system integrators and end-users can rely on maximum investment protection and future security when using innovative technologies from the market leader, because SICK’s sensor and application expertise is continuously updated and made available for the solution of future requirements.
Initial installations show that the system concept of the C4000 Fusion successfully provides stable area protection in dirty environments. A range of tasks on equipment involving transport, e.g. mitre saws and plank sorting plants, in a variety of sawmills and wood processing companies have been solved with this detection-tolerant light curtain – both safely and with process efficiency.
For decades, SICK has been one of the world’s most innovative companies in the sensor sector. The latest technological knowledge and processes are implemented in innovative products and system solutions. They position SICK as a technology and market leader in the customer segments of factory, logistics and process automation.
More than 50 innovations and control solutions are planned from February 2009 until February 2010. SICK will launch a new product each week as part of its “SICK Innovation Marathon 2009”. All innovations – from No. 1 to No. 52 – are more than just products: they solve tasks intelligently, efficiently and precisely. And create unbeatable customer advantages.