Can Programmable Light Curtains Speed Product Changeover?

July 8, 2010

Product changeover require manual modifications to the blanking patterns for safety light curtains at the product feed and takeoff stations of our presses. We think programmable light curtains will speed this up. We're unclear if we can just include them as automatic changes inside the stored part-profiles we provide, or do they require some sort of redundant check before first use? Are they as straightfoward to use as we think?

Product changeover require manual modifications to the blanking patterns for safety light curtains at the product feed and takeoff stations of our presses. We think programmable light curtains will speed this up. We're unclear if we can just include them as automatic changes inside the stored part-profiles we provide, or do they require some sort of redundant check before first use? Are they as straightfoward to use as we think?

Send us your comments, suggestions or solutions for this problem. We'll include it in the September '10 issue and post it on ControlDesign.com. Send visuals if you’d like—a sketch is fine. Email us at [email protected]. Please include your company, location and title in the response.

Sponsored Recommendations

Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and programmable automation controllers (PACs) provide viable options for machine control. This Control Design collection explains the differences...
Motion control engineers tend to focus on torque and speed specifications during the design process, but often fail to notice the unique features that differentiate a high-quality...
Covering the basics of choosing the right position feedback option for your application.
This white paper describes advantages of using advanced angle sensor technologies and focuses on best practices for correctly implementing non-­contact and touchless angle sensors...