Leuze offers plug and play access guarding

Access guards for robot cells are often complex systems with different individual components, which must be individually assembled and compatible. This also requires long installation and start-up processes.

Pictured right: The palletizing robots in the Beumer robotpac series are typical systems in which MLDSET access guarding from Leuze Electronic is used.

“Leuze Electronic has developed MLDSET protective sensor sets, which are easy to install via ‘plug and play’ with or without the muting function,” explains Markus Pollmeier of Beumer Group, where the efficient sets are used in palletising and packaging systems.

“The special thing about the MLDSET systems from Leuze Electronic is that all of the access guarding components are pre-mounted for typical muting applications in a practical way,” states Pollmeier. “This saves a lot of time during installation as well as during start-up on site.”

He sees another advantage in that fact that ready-made systems can also be installed extremely easily by technicians that have not been specially trained.

The Beumer Group is an internationally leading manufacturer of intralogistics in the areas of conveyor and loading technology, palletising and packaging technology and also sorting and distribution systems. Typical systems in which the safety photoelectric sensor sets from Leuze Electronic are used are palletising robots in the Beumer robotpac.

Systems are individually customised to customer requirements, and take the product properties of the individual packaged goods into consideration as well as the desired packaging patterns and pallet sizes. Normally, these systems are completely enclosed in safety barriers. In ‘gaps’ and open locations, particularly for moving materials in and out, MLDSET systems are used with light scanners as muting sensors for unimpeded material transport.

“As standard, muting is triggered in situations where packages or pallets are continuously fed in by the conveyor system using muting sensors, ie additional photoelectric sensors,” explains Pollmeier. “Feeding or delivery stations at which pallets are put in or taken away by forklift trucks can also be equipped with induction loops instead.” In areas in which the system is used for access protection only, MLDSET is used without muting.

In any case, the systems are always delivered to suit the application. This includes defined cable lengths, connectors and cable routes and also a special acknowledgment unit with an illuminated start button or input and output signals that have been adapted for the Beumer control concept.

Pictured left: Maximum safety is required at the access points of the system due to the fast robot movements in the Beumer palletiser system.

Innovations in the set

The core component of MLDSET is the MLD 500 multiple light beam safety device with transceiver design. Systems such as this consist of an active transceiver (transmitter and receiver together in one housing) and a passive deflecting mirror without an electrical connection. “The transceivers are normally twin-beam and have an integrated muting indicator. Leuze Electronic also offers triple-beam systems as a special feature,” stresses Pollmeier.

According to Pollmeier, another advantage of MLD devices is that they are generally suitable for low-temperature environments and are fully functional up to –30°C. For Beumer, this is an important product characteristic because conveyor, palletising and packaging systems are frequently used in open, drafty halls.

The MLD 500 multiple light beam safety devices are already pre-mounted in device columns with appropriate lengths. The set includes a complete mounting kit for exact base adjustment. Special spring elements provide an independent reset after me-chanical impacts.

In special cases, the MLDSET includes series 25B muting light scanners as well as the MLD 500. For quick and easy installation, these muting sensors are already pre-adjusted in mounting arms, so-called muting sensor sets. These arms are mounted on the side of the UDC device columns, where the muting sensors are easy to adjust. “With these muting sensor sets, we no longer need to think about the arrangement of the muting sensors,” summarises Pollmeier.

Visit the Leuze Electronic website for more information.

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