Easier safety: Camera-based measurement, protection system

Canton, MI–Pilz Automation Safety L.P. has launched Pilz PSENvip, a measurement and protection system for press brakes to reduce industry reliance on light curtains and to increase productivity through low maintenance and reliable operation.

By Control Engineering Staff October 16, 2007

Canton, MI –

Pilz Automation Safety L.P

. has launched Pilz PSENvip, a measurement and protection system for press brakes to reduce industry reliance on light curtains and to increase productivity through low maintenance and reliable operation.

The Pilz PSENvip camera-based

Based on a camera and fail-safe machine vision system, PSENvip helps users of press brakes improve productivity and achieve high safety standards. Easily configurable, the system creates protected fields that are monitored and represented on the camera unit display. Should any object, finger-sized or smaller, breach protected fields, the press stops in less than 3 milliseconds.

Suitable for press brakes up to 32.8 ft long (10 m), the system comprises an LED-based light source and a camera unit with integral display. The unit is connected to either a PNOZmulti modular safety controller or a programmable safety system (PSS).

“With its innovative parallel vision optical system, PSENvip is completely resistant to optical influences such as surface reflections, reflection bypass, external light or diffused light,” said Dino Mariuz, Pilz engineering manager. “Previous mobile protection systems have been based on a laser light source, which emitted a bundled light beam (coherent light). This almost parallel beam needs to be aligned with the upper tool when first commissioned. With the new LED-based solution using PSENvip, the receiver simply needs to be illuminated along the upper tool.”

Transmitter and receiver, mounted on the upper die to save space, are resistant to vibration, interference, and diffused light. In addition to performing a safety function, the PSENvip measures the angle of the bend being formed. The data can be fed back into the press brake’s CNC system, to make the forming operation as accurate and efficient as possible, company says.

The system is suitable for use on safety-related control systems conforming to Safety Category 4 of EN 954-1, Performance Level e of EN ISO 13849-1, and SIL 3 of EN IEC 62061, and it conforms to the requirements of EN DIN 12622, Safety of machine tools – Hydraulic press brakes, Pilz says.

Control Engineering News Desk( Register here and scroll down to select your choice of eNewsletters free .)


Related Resources