Posted to News on 3rd Oct 2012, 16:59
GL-R safety light curtains provide a high level of security
The new GL-R Series series has been designed to address the problems users have with safety light curtains. It has a strong design, quick and easy installation, and the highest level of security is provided. The GL-R Series is described as the most robust on the market thanks to a metal housing three times thicker than traditional safety curtains (32×38mm).
Another feature is the built-in thick and robust metal guard protecting the lenses (5mm recess), reducing the probability of direct impacts on this sensitive part. Finally, the GL-R Series housing meets IP65/IP67 enclosure ratings. The system offers a number of advantages: downtime risks are reduced, no need for expensive additional guarding, and finally twisting and misalignment issues are eradicated thanks to the robust design.
These curtains are easy to install. With the one-line system, there is no need to connect the transmitter and receiver to the control panel, because the transmitter receives power from the receiver. Moreover, with optical synchronisation, the transmitter and receiver can be wired separately. The number of wires is reduced from 18 to five, thanks to a single M12 connector, thus reducing installation time and the risk of faulty wiring.
Assembly is also simplified: the GL-R Series brackets come pre-assembled, so installation is as simple as sliding them into the mounting track and securing them to the machine. These mounting brackets have been designed to attach directly to standard extruded aluminium, allowing a straight, L-shaped or adjustable angle mounting. The detection range has been increased up to 15m, and the GL-R series curtains do not require any additional protection.
The GL-R series meets the machine safety design standard ISO 13849-1, PLe level of performance. It is the most demanding: Mean time to dangerous failure per hour: 10-8 to
This Series, in keeping with the other Keyence safety light curtains, offers a no dead zone detection, with the first beam emitted 10mm from each end. There is no need for additional guarding to prevent intrusion on the dead zone detection level. Many curtains still do not offer this key safety feature. Compared with models allowing edge detection, the GL-R Series solves the common problem of end brittleness.
Finally, with seven segments display errors are more easily and safely identified, and the operation of the GL-R Series can be monitored with a PC. The status of I/O signals including OSSD outputs, override inputs, and error conditions can be checked, as well as light intensity. During operation, monitoring will help to easily identify causes of any abnormal operation. All error codes and order of occurrence are saved as error history records during operation. This allows for easier troubleshooting and analysis.
To find out more about the GL-R Series safety light curtains, go to www.keyence.co.uk.
