Dynamic blanking
June 1st 2004

The latest Type 4 safety light curtains from Erwin Sick use dynamic blanking technology to discriminate between people and materials as they enter or leave hazardous areas.

The C4000 automatically learns the profiles of objects passing through the curtain, letting skids and platens through, but triggering an alarm if a person attempts to enter a hazardous area. This makes it suitable for the automotive industry.

The device has a working range from 0.5 to 19m and a resolution of 20mm. It learns profiles by monitoring the size of the parts of the object, and their separation, as it passes through the curtain at speeds to 2m/sec. Users can specify a maximum allowable object size.

Measurements are sufficiently precise that the curtain can tell the difference between different transport skids and an operators legs. Sophisticated algorithms in the curtain can detect someone walking by the convergence of their legs. Users are said to benefit from a safer working environment and fewer false alarms.

The C4000 is always active and does not mute, so there is no need for muting sensors or moveable barriers to prevent false alarms, saving on installation costs.

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