Light curtains keep operatives safe

Designed for the protection of machinery operatives and those working in the vicinity, light curtains work by shielding the equipment with light beams. If one of these beams is broken, any dangerous movement of machine parts stops, protecting personnel while still allowing access to the machines should maintenance need to be carried out. The two new Preventa light curtains from Schneider Electric offer varying levels of capability, dependent on the needs of the application. The XUSLB provides basic light curtain functions, with the XUSLD including additional standard features such as built-in muting, programmable blanking and cascading of up to four segments. Both new light curtains offer flexible installation possibilities, due to their ability to share components, cables and accessories. In addition, the two new models can also be programmed and diagnosed using a handheld programmer. This allows for much quicker and easier configuration and maintenance, without the need for a PC. The sensitivity of the light beams can be adjusted making the light curtains suitable for a range of applications. An added benefit of the two new models is the lower price compared to existing product. XUSLB and XUSLD do not offer the extended features of their predecessors, but still provide a high level of protection.