Allen-Bradley GuardShield light curtains

The Allen-Bradley GuardShield light curtains include the CIP Safety over EtherNet/IP module along with integrated laser alignment, muting, blanking and cascading.

Light curtains are an essential safety mechanism in a manufacturing plant, particularly those requiring cutting and chopping before packaging a final product. Staff need access to the product without having to regularly open and close guarding, which is where GuardShield safety light curtains are designed to help with their innovative design to ensure the safety of personnel. The design also helps to reduce maintenance and spare parts.

The integrated CIP Safety over EtherNet/IP modules provide detailed diagnostics and status information to Logix DLR networks to cascade to multiple 450L or other EtherNet/IP products together.

Most light curtains on the market contain a transmitter and receiver stick, but the GuardShield curtain leverages patented plug-in transceiver technology. Each stick can be used as either a transmitter or receiver via innovative plug-in modules, resulting in fewer parts being required.

To significantly reduce engineering effort, the GuardShield range was designed with embedded functions that are configured quickly and easily via DIP switches or software, including muting, blanking, start mode, external device monitoring and scanning ranges.

The range also features an integrated laser alignment system, designed for quick installation and reliable operation, which reduces alignment labour time. This can amount to cost savings when installing 450 L units across multiple locations, and improved up-time regarding maintenance and hardware-replacement efforts.

The units come in different lengths ranging from 150 to 1950 mm — in multiples of 150 mm in both 30 mm hand and 14 mm finger resolutions. There are no dead spots (passive zones) at the top or bottom of the stick, which means they can be installed inside a machine frame and do not have to be mounted outside or on the machine like a traditional light curtain system.