Mini-Photoelectric Sensor Has Many Installation Options

The new W15 from SICK is a special kind of miniature photoelectric sensor. The latest sensor and evaluation technologies from SICK meet a highly installation-friendly housing design that is common in the US market. Small wonder that the “transatlantic sensor concept” goes down well in Europe, too.

Due to its “USA design,” the series is interesting both for machine constructors active on the American market and for end customers that operate facilities “made in the USA” and are, if required, able to switch quickly to the W15, which is compatible with respect to mounting and connecting. However, for “European-oriented” clients, too, the W15 is very interesting, considering the elegant mounting options that offer benefits specifically in warehousing and handling systems.

The BGS photoelectric proximity sensor is the star of the series
The W15 is a complete production series. All of the devices share an IP67 enclosure rating. The remarkable thing is that besides the usual complementary output configuration, a bipolar output configuration, i.e. PNP and NPN function in one device, is possible as well. The WSE15 through-beam photoelectric sensor and the WL15 photoelectric reflex sensor alike offer ranges of up to 5 m. Both devices generate a sharp light spot that facilitates alignment of the sensor considerably. The energetic photoelectric proximity sensor convinces with a scanning distance of 350 mm.

The highlight of the series, however, is the WTB15 BGS photoelectric proximity sensor. The sensor combines PinPoint technology with innovative chip technology that involves more than a dozen receiving elements, allowing not only precise and stable background suppression and suppression of extraneous light but also electronic and drift-free adjustment of the scanning range. Object detection occurs independent of color and surface properties, which means that no sensor readjustments are necessary.

Maximum possibilities for installation
Featuring three different installation options, the W15 series leaves hardly anything to be desired. On the one hand, the sensors can be mounted by means of side mounting using the lateral through holes in the housing. In addition, the sensors’ M18 threads offer the possibility of front mounting by means of plastic nut or – particularly elegant – by means of snap-ring. The latter option permits the sensor to be installed flush and blind zone-free, for example, on the lateral guide rail of a roller conveyor, thus allowing object detection at close range without the sensor impeding the material flow on the conveyor system.

Unobstructed view of the sensor status
Independent of the respective installation situation, the W15 sensors provide an unobstructed view of the power and status display: on the one hand, from above directly on to the indicator LEDs; on the other hand, from behind through the transparent back cover of the device.

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Safe Camera Sensor Monitora Aeas of up to 2.25 m²

SICK is presenting the V300 WS Extended – the latest generation of safe camera sensors for protecting hazardous areas and points-of-operation at SIL2 or PL d levels – for the first time at the SPS/IPC/DRIVES 2009 trade fair in Nuremberg. Its range has been enhanced so that it can now monitor protective areas of up to 2.25 m². Operating two systems in Synchronous Mode allows the size of the protective field to be doubled. Commissioning of the V300 WS Extended has been made even easier with the help of intuitive single-button operation and the improved four-LED display. The single-device concept of the safe camera sensor is also convincing in economic terms – because the device ensures cost-efficient procurement, stock-keeping and spare-part administration.

The V300 WS Extended is a non-contact safety system based on image processing technology. It fulfils safety integrity level SIL2 according to IEC 61508 and Performance Level PL d in line with EN ISO 13849. The sensor’s transmitter and receiver are integrated in a single housing – as are the supplementary functions Reset and External Device Monitoring. The compact triangular housing of the safe camera system allows horizontal or vertical installation at locations in which the sensor is protected against impacts, misalignment or damage.

A single device for almost all common opening sizes and formats

With a range of 2.12 m, the V300 WS Extended is suitable for machine openings and monitored areas of up to 1.5 m x 1.5 m². Mounted in a corner, the V300 WS Extended generates a field that reaches to the reflector strip mounted opposite the device. The entire length and breadth of the reflector strip is monitored with selectable resolutions of 20 mm, 24 mm or 30 mm. The V300 WS Extended signals within 20 ms and stops the machine movement immediately if someone reaches into the machine during processing activities. The protective fields can be steplessly adapted to the application during commissioning. Long or narrow action windows, ducts on machines, cables passing through the protective field, or spatial geometries when used to prevent access from the back of a machine can be appropriately taught-in. In the case of larger monitoring areas, it is possible to connect two devices via the serial synchronisation input and thus double the protective field size to 4.5 m². If two sides meeting one another at an angle are to be protected, two V300 WS Extended units are also the perfect solution here: there is no need for a central strut in the corner – so the operator has unobstructed access to the machine via the corner, e.g. for the insertion and removal of larger workpieces.

Optimised installation as well as commissioning and diagnostic display

Almost no other safety sensor is as easy to install and commission as the V300 WS Extended. Two screws are sufficient to reliably fix the device, e.g. in or on the corner of a slotted profile frame. Only one cable is required for electrical connection. Alignment on the reflector strip takes place automatically. The protective field is taught-in in Teach-in Mode. The four-LED display supports this process in that one LED each indicates the status of the safe switching outputs, external device monitoring, the reset button and the teach-in button. If diagnosis becomes necessary, the above-mentioned assignment of the LEDs permits targeted corrective work, minimising the time spent handling servicing activities. The protective field is divided into four sectors during running operation – the LEDs provide visualisation of reflector strip detection for each sector and thus ensure safe function.

Safe camera sensor also keeps costs under control

The concept of the V300 WS Extended – a single device for all opening sizes and a wide range of protective field geometries – opens up economical solutions in many terms. The device, which can be easily and rapidly mounted and operated without expert knowledge, reduces commissioning costs. It creates safe working conditions, preventing accidents at work and thus minimising the risk of subsequent follow-up costs and liability demands. As a “universal sensor” for a wide range of similar but not always identical applications, it reduces the number of variants that would otherwise require stocking at machine constructors or system integrators – with a positive effect on economic efficiency in warehouses and logistics. This also applies for applications with two synchronised sensors: identical variants can be used here.

The “little brother” V200 WS Extended

The “little brother”, the V200 WS Extended, is also the suitable solution for tasks for which the risk analysis indicates a lower protective requirement – at the level of SIL1 and PL c – with the same performance data.

Ultrasonic Distance Measurement Sensor

Minneapolis, MN – SICK launches the UM30-2 Ultrasonic Distance Measurement Sensors, featuring a new EasyTouch display and keypad that enables easier setup, configuration, and access to advanced problem solving features. The UM30-2 line offers increased measurement performance and is 25% shorter, providing more installation options. These sensors are ideal for detection and distance measurement applications, such as roll diameter control, level control, clear bottle detection, and collision avoidance.

The sensors’ increased performance includes actual measurement enhancements and valuable advanced features that can be activated to solve common application problems. The sensors’ resolution has been improved and now offers 0.18 mm resolution throughout the entire measurement range of the UM30-2 family. The new EasyTouch display and keypad allow for easy setup and quick commissioning and provide access to 14 advanced features without using any external PC or programming module.

Advanced features enable users to connect multiple sensors together to act as one large sensor, which increases the sensing area for more robust collision avoidance or for monitoring difficult target surfaces. They can also be connected together and programmed to multiplex to avoid cross talk and mutual interference. Another common problem solved by using the sensors’ advanced features is to ignore foreground or background targets, making it ideal for level detection to ignore signal reflections from the rim of the vial/bin/hopper/bottle/tube and only output the distance to the material inside. These solutions were previously not available in standard ultrasonic sensors and now provide more opportunities for you and your customer.

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