Due to workplace accidents, poorly guarded equipment poses severe risks and result in high financial costs. With the increase of automation in factory environments within the United Arab Emirates, the protection of operators without impairing production efficiency will continue to be of utmost concern for industries. Banner safety light curtains provides an effective, non contact method of safeguarding operators through immediate cessation of potentially harmful motion when an intrusion is detected. In this blog, Unseen ERA will provide you with everything you need to know about Banner Safety Light Curtains, its Setup, Standards and how to Select the right Safety Light Curtain.
Table of Contents
What Are Safety Light Curtains?
Safety curtains are photoelectric (non-contact) safety equipment to create a “virtual” barrier around hazardous machinery, which can be vertical or horizontal. When a person or an object interrupts (breaks) these beams of light, the safety curtain system sends an instantaneous stop (clear) command to prevent any personal injury from the machine.
Key Elements:
- Purpose: To protect workers from industrial accident
- Components: A transmitter (light source) and a receiver (light detector).
- Safety Rating: Usually Type 2 or Type 4 (very dangerous applications)
- Functions: Used to provide machine guarding (safety), access control and area Monitoring.
- How It Works: When the light beam is interrupted the machine receives a stop signal.
Overview of Banner Engineering Safety Light Curtains
Banner Engineering produces the Banner Light Safety Curtains. These products are used globally and are known to be reliable, durable and meet international safety standards.
The following are popular series of Banner Light Safety Curtains:
- EZ-SCREEN
- EZ-SCREEN LS
The following are key features of these products:
- Options for finger, hand and body protection
- Blanking and muting functions are available
- Cascading option for expanding the safety coverage area
Rugged housing with high IP ratings for durability and safety in industrial environments
Quick response times for high-speed applications
For Dubai industries that operate in high-stress situations, Banner Engineering has designed their products to be tough and durable enough to provide long service.
How Banner Safety Light Curtains Work
The Working Mechanism of Banner Safety Light Curtains
Banner Light curtains use a grid of tightly spaced infra-red beams, and constantly transmit beams of light to the receiver. The machine will operate normally when all the beams are in line with, and uninterrupted by, an object or person.
If an object or person blocks any of the beams, the receiver will detect the interruption in light. The safety light curtain will signal a stop to the machine through the Safety Outputs. As a result, the hazardous motion of the machine will stop immediately.
The level of protection provided by a Safety Light curtain depends mainly on the resolution of the beam. The resolutions are defined as follows:
- 14 mm resolution – Protection against a finger
- 30 mm resolution – Protection against a hand
- 40 mm+ resolution – Protection against a body
Setup Guide: Installing Safety Light Curtains Correctly
Proper installation is important to ensure that the machine will comply with safety standards and function as intended.
- Risk Assessment
Before installation, conduct an exhaustive risk assessment (HAZAN) to determine:
- Risk Type (e.g., cutting, crushing, shearing)
- Performance Level (PL) required
- Machine stop time (distance)
The results of this process will determine the appropriate model and safety rating of your light curtain.
- Proper Mounting and Alignment
Proper transmitter and receiver alignment is crucial as misalignment can result in nuisance tripping and/or unsafe conditions.
Things to Keep in Mind:
- Properly mount to prevent vibration
- Avoid reflective surfaces in the path of your beam
- Maintain proper safety distance between the hazard point and the light curtain
- Safety Distance Calculation
Safety distance is determined by:
- Time taken for the machine to stop (stop time)
- Rate of travel towards machine
- Light curtain resolution
- Standards such as ISO 13849-1 provide guidance on how to accurately calculate safety distances.
Improperly calculated safety distances are a frequent cause of light curtain installation errors and are hazardous to individuals working around the surrounding area.
- Installation and Wiring
Banner safety light curtains can be integrated into:
- Safety relays
- Safety PLCs
- Emergency stop circuits
To meet functional safety requirements and have redundancy, Banner light curtains must be properly wired with dual-channel wiring.
- Initial Commissioning and Test
Once your light curtains are installed, you will need to:
- Test the response of the light curtains to a beam interruption
- Test machine stopping at an acceptable time
- Check the diagnostics indicator
- Document results for compliance
As part of your preventive maintenance program, periodic testing is required.
International Safety Standards & Compliance
Safety Light curtains must comply with internationally recognised Machine Safety standards as they relate to the Safety of the Equipment. The main International standards are:
IEC 61496 – applicable to electro-sensitive protective devices
ISO 13849-1 – Safety-related control system parts
IEC 61508 – Functional Safety of Electrical Systems
The UAE does not have separate local machine safety standards, although industrial facilities will typically comply with all internationally-recognised IEC and ISO Machine Safety standards. Compliance will improve overall safety and reduce legal liability and insurance risk.
Selection Guide: How to Choose the Right Safety Light Curtain
Choosing the proper model involves several considerations.
- Type of Protection
Select resolution based on the severity of the potential hazard:
Finger guard – Used for precision machinery.
Hand guard – Used for operator load zones.
Body guard – Used at the entry points of robotic cells.
- Protection Height
Protection height should cover the total opening of the access so that it cannot be bypassed.
- Environmental Factors
Consider:
- Levels of dust
- Levels of oil mist
- Vibration
- Ambient light.
Evaluate these criteria and select the IP rating appropriate for the harsh working conditions in the UAE.
- Advanced Features
Some modern systems may require:
Muting – Used for the flow of materials through the safety light curtains.
Blanking – Used for a fixed obstruction.
Cascading – Used when there are extended safety protection zones.
An excess selection of features adds to your costs, and an insufficient selection of features adds to your risk. To achieve a balanced technical evaluation is essential.
Common Installation Mistakes to Avoid
Many failures of safety-related applications are the result of improper setups rather than problems with products. Some ways to avoid this are:
- Inadequate safety distance,
- Poorly aligned,
- Ignoring machine stopping time,
- Not performing periodic maintenance on safety equipment.
Weakness in safety is only as strong as the weakest link in implementation.
Benefits of Using Banner Safety Light Curtains in UAE Industries
Reasons for using safety light curtains from Banner Industries are numerous:
- Greater Operator Safety
- Decreases the Risk of Accident
- Fulfills International Safety Requirements
- Reduces Downtime
- Increases Productivity
- Long-term Cost Savings
Why Choose Unseen ERA for Banner Safety Light Curtains in UAE?
Choosing the proper safety system involves more than just purchasing equipment; it involves having a technical understanding of the equipment, knowledge of compliance with applicable standards and laws, and proper implementation of the safety system.
Unseen ERA offers the following services:
- Expert consultation and risk evaluation
- Guidance in selecting the appropriate product
- Integration assistance with safety PLCs
- Assistance with the professional installation of the safety system
- Technical support after the sale
FAQs About Banner Safety Light Curtains
Question. How do you choose finger, hand, and body protection light curtains?
Answer. Your choice is based on the resolution of the beams upon which you will be protecting.
- 14 mm for finger protection
- 30 mm for hand protection
- 40 mm or greater for body protection
Question. What is the difference between a safety light curtain and photoelectric sensor?
Answer. Photoelectric sensors are designed to detect objects for automation purposes, while safety light curtains are certified protective devices that meet the requirements of machine safety standards, such as IEC 61496.
Question. What is the performance level (PL) or safety category (SC) required for my application?
Answer. This is determined by the result of your machine’s risk assessment. Typically, high-risk applications require PL d or PL e per ISO 13849-1.
Question. What are some of the most common installation errors to avoid?
Answer. The three most common installation errors are alignment, incorrect safety distance calculation, and not considering reflective surfaces.
Question. What can cause safety light curtains to trip erroneously?
Answer. Safety light curtains can trip erroneously due to misalignment, vibrations, dust accumulation or reflective interference.