Today's Automation News Headlines from Automation.com

December 14, 2011—Banner Engineering adds Integral Muting to EZ-SCREEN Low-Profile Safety Light Curtain. Integral muting allows Banner’s EZ-SCREEN family to provide increased mounting flexibility, hookup options and additional functionality–all at a lower cost.

The EZ-SCREEN LP with integral muting has a sensing range that spans from 100 mm to 7 m (4″ to 23'). Offering seven different, predefined muting configuration options—including Bypass, Mute-Dependent Override, Mute Enable and Mute-cycle time extensions for “L”-style cell exit application—the safety light curtain provides versatile performance for diverse application requirements. Additionally, Mute Lamp and Status Outputs can be relayed to the EZ-LIGHT (or other indicating devices) with a removable disconnect (RD) cordset and accessory end-cap mounting bracket, while easy-to-see Status, Reset, Zone, Mute Device and Diagnostic indicators and displays communicate the number of beams blocked and provide detailed diagnostics. A selectable emitter test option is able to simulate a “blocked” condition as well.

With a built-in muting function, the EZ-SCREEN safety light curtains do not require a third box, which helps facilitate easy setup, minimizes wiring requirements and reduces installation costs. Setup can be performed without a PC, hand-held programmer or other device; and DIP switch configuration features many of the same functions as a standard EZ-SCREEN LP.

Safety light curtains protect personnel from injury and machines from damage by guarding points of operation, access, areas and perimeters. The two-piece optoelectronic safeguarding device creates a screen of synchronized, modulated infrared sensing beams that extend from end-to-end of the housing—ensuring operators are completely protected from machine safety hazards. Furthermore, they are highly immune to EMI, RFI, ambient light, weld flash and strobe lights, and come equipped with factory burned-in emitter and receiver circuitry for toughness, dependability and vibration tolerance.

Capable of two or four mute device/sensor hookup options, including a cost-effective two sensor "X-pattern" solution used for material entry and exit applications and "L" sensor solution that minimizes the floor space in manufacturing cell exit applications, the EZ-SCREEN LP with integral muting provides enhanced application flexibility. The optional CSM Muting Splitter Cordset provides a complete QD connectorized solution for a simple, low-cost installation.

“Space definitely comes at a premium in today’s industrial environment, not to mention the resources to pay for safeguarding equipment,” said Mike Carlson, Technical Manager for Banner’s Safety Products. “Fortunately, the EZ-SCREEN LP with integral muting provides a solution in both instances. Not only do the variety of sizes, end-to-end sensing and compact design allow for installation within the machine frame to eliminate any ‘holes’ or dead zones in the sensing field, but there is also less power consumption and fewer components to stock than with traditional safety light curtains.”   

About Banner. Banner Engineering is a world leading manufacturer of photoelectric and ultrasonic sensors, indicator lights, vision sensors and vision lighting, electronic machine guarding systems, wireless networks, fiber optic assemblies and precision measurement systems.