We often run into scenarios where light curtains with muting seem like the go-to solution for entry and exit of product on conveyors into and out of machine cells. These light curtains also end up being a convenient way for operators to enter said machine cell.
A person won't meet muting requirements and will trip out the safety which is good, but I'm curious if any of you have implemented clever -safe- ways of dealing with the fact that once you enter the machine cell, you're no longer blocking the light curtain and someone else can reset and start the machine with you inside the safety zone.
So far I've seen OEMs use a hinged plate that you can swing in front of a couple of the beams of a light curtain and could put a lockout lock through, and one other OEM put a pre-reset button inside the safety zone at the back of the cell so you have to enter to 'look around and verify no one is inside' the area before resetting outside the cell. We've used safet laser scanners and pressure mats in some applications but they don't lend themselves well to many tight machine cell designs.
Any other ideas you all have used or seen?
A person won't meet muting requirements and will trip out the safety which is good, but I'm curious if any of you have implemented clever -safe- ways of dealing with the fact that once you enter the machine cell, you're no longer blocking the light curtain and someone else can reset and start the machine with you inside the safety zone.
So far I've seen OEMs use a hinged plate that you can swing in front of a couple of the beams of a light curtain and could put a lockout lock through, and one other OEM put a pre-reset button inside the safety zone at the back of the cell so you have to enter to 'look around and verify no one is inside' the area before resetting outside the cell. We've used safet laser scanners and pressure mats in some applications but they don't lend themselves well to many tight machine cell designs.
Any other ideas you all have used or seen?