Safety light curtains for industrial applications

Safety light curtains enable people and objects to be detected reliably and with precision using light beams, making them an indispensable machinery safety component in automation technology. With safety light curtains from Pilz you can protect staff, machinery and capital goods from hazards, efficiently and economically.

An invisible infrared protected field monitors danger zones and ensures reliable access protection on plant and machinery. Safety light curtains are particularly suitable for production processes in which operators regularly need to enter the workspace.

An overview of Pilz safety light curtains and complementary optical sensors

Benefit from a wide range of safety light curtains and matching complete solutions featuring Pilz safety controllers, combined with our many years of expert knowledge in safe automation. Depending on the version and type, Pilz safety light curtains offer a variety of protected field heights and ranges, covering different Performance Levels (PL) up to PL e.

PSENopt – Greater flexibility for individual requirements

Safety light curtains from the PSENopt series are suitable for machinery with cyclical operations. Particularly slimline versions are available for space-critical applications.

More about PSENopt

PSENopt II – Greater safety in rugged industrial environments

Safety light curtains PSENopt II are designed for use in rugged industrial environments. They are impressively robust and offer reliable protection against dust, vibrations or low temperatures.

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PSENopt II Advanced – Greater flexibility thanks to two operating modes

Safety light curtains PSENopt II Advanced support classic OSSD mode as well as IO-Link Safety mode. Reduced resolution and single-beam evaluation are included in the function range.

More about PSENopt II Advanced

Safety light curtain PSENopt II Advanced

Complementary solutions for safe object recognition

Retroreflective photoelectric sensors – Reliable object recognition

Retroreflective photoelectric sensors detect objects. They detect whether or not these are within their detection range and provide a corresponding switch signal.

More about photoelectric sensors

Examples of applications for safety light curtains

Safety light curtains enable safe access protection for plant and machinery across a range of industrial sectors and industries. Here are some examples of industrial applications:

Safety light curtain to safeguard a robot cell

Safeguarding robot cells

Safety light curtain to safeguard a press

Safeguarding presses

Safe material infeed safeguarded by safety light curtains

Safeguarding material flows

Safety light curtains safeguard workspaces around production machinery

Safeguarding different room layouts

Safety light curtains secure multiple access points in an automated production plant

Safeguarding different danger zones

Safety light curtains secure the danger zone while material is fed in

Safeguarding large areas

Find the right solution for your application

Safety light curtains, safety light grids and safety light barriers are suitable for a variety of safety functions. Depending on the application, they enable finger, hand or body protection.

Safety light curtain for finger protection

Safety light curtains designed to protect fingers can be used to safeguard workspaces where precise interventions are required close to danger points. The high resolution detects even a single finger reaching into the danger zone and provides reliable protection against injury.

Finger protection

Safety light curtain for hand protection

Safety light grids for hand protection safeguard your operating staff when accessing plant and machinery. Their resolution is designed for hand protection and reliably detects a hand reaching into the danger zone, while also ensuring safe accessibility.

Hand protection

Safety light curtains for body protection on machinery

Safety light barrier for body protection

Safety light barriers for body protection enable you to reliably safeguard larger access and danger zones. Thanks to their resolution, which is optimised for detecting persons, they detect when people enter or pass through the protected field, guaranteeing safe access protection.

Body protection

Pilz Safety Distance Calculator

Use the Safety Distance Calculator to work out the right safety distance for you!

The safety distance is key for the safe operation of a plant. With the Pilz Safety Distance Calculator, you can calculate the required distance quickly, simply and safely, receiving your results online, along with the right products to safeguard your machine.

Calculate now

FAQs about safety light curtains

1. What are safety light curtains used for?

Safety light curtains protect people at danger points by reliably monitoring access or intervention into the danger zone. The sensors are typically used on plant and machinery where compliant safeguarding in accordance with EN ISO 13849 and other relevant safety requirements are needed.

2. What is the difference between a safety light grid, a safety light barrier and a safety light curtain?

Safety light grids, safety light barriers and safety light curtains differ in terms of the resolution of their light beams. A light barrier usually operates using single beams and is frequently used for simpler detection tasks. A safety light grid monitors a multi-beam protected field for access points and danger zones. A safety light curtain creates a dense protected field and is particularly suitable for detecting fingers or hands.

Further information:
Lexicon entry for safety light barriers

3. Which standards must be observed when using safety light curtains?

Depending on the application, relevant standards include EN ISO 13849 for functional safety and machine-specific requirements under MR 2023/1230. When safety light curtains are integrated into networked plants, security aspects relating to the protection of plant, machine and data should also be considered, as laid down in IEC 62443, for example. A standard-compliant assessment of the overall application is always required.

Further information:
Standards section

4. How do I choose the right safety light curtain?

Key selection criteria include resolution, protected field height, range, installation conditions and the required machinery safety function. Equally relevant are the environmental conditions, the effort required to integrate the system into the controller, and availability and retrofit requirements. The following applies for manufacturers and operators: The safety light curtain must be appropriate for the risk assessment and required performance level.

Further information:
Risk assessment

5. What is the difference between Type 2, Type 3 and Type 4 light curtains?

The difference between Type 2, Type 3 and Type 4 light curtains lies primarily in the level of safety that can be achieved and the suitable application areas. Type 2 is suitable for applications with a lower risk potential, while Type 4 is designed to meet high safety requirements and so is used particularly frequently to protect people in mechanical engineering. Type 3 falls between these two classes. The results of the risk assessment are key in making this selection.

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Contact

Do you have any questions about safety light curtains for your application? Talk to us – we’d be happy to advise you.

Standard-compliant application

Find useful information on applicable standards and the Machinery Regulation.

Information on standards

Machinery safety services

Find out how Pilz supports you with its range of services throughout the entire machine lifecycle.

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