Light Curtain Application

KTI Technologies,Inc.                                                                                                                     Form: FKL2001R1
Sales - Service - Equipment Installations                                                                                                                                         Phone (732) 446-3933
PO Box 241 Old Bridge, New Jersey 08857                                                                                                                                       FAX: (732) 446-3923

SPECIFICATIONS FOR SAFETY LIGHT CURTIAN APPLICATIONS

It is important to understand that the use of safety light curtains be in full compliance with current OSHA & ANSI regulations. This responsibility falls onto the end-user of the equipment! The application must be suitable for safety lights and the equipment’s electrical control of the machine to be guarded by the safety light MUST meet all OSHA and ANSI current regulations.

The mechanical power press or machinery MUST be of a part revolution clutch design. This type of design enables the ram of the press or motion of the system the ability to be stopped anywhere within the stroke or cycle. If it is NOT a part revolution controlled mechanical power press or system SAFETY LIGHT CURTAINS CAN NOT BE USE. Other mechanical alternatives for safe guarding the machine must be evaluated!

If the mechanical power press or machinery is of the part revolution clutch design and it’s electrical control meets OSHA and ANSI current regulations safety light curtains are applicable however current OSHA and ANSI regulations govern the use and operating conditions of the safety light curtain. OSHA and ANSI regulations state that all points of operation ( pinch points ) be guarded by some approved present sensing device or by a approved mechanical guarding device. To use safety light curtains to guard a mechanical power press or a system’s work area the following criteria must be determined.

A. The safety light curtain must span and protect the full length of the front and or back of the press’s or system’s work area. Point of operation areas or pinch points that are not guarded by the safety light curtain must be guarded by some other approved OSHA and ANSI guarding devices.

B. The mechanical positioning of the safety light curtain mounting distance from the point of operation ( this distance is measured from the center of the light curtain, detection area, to the nearest pinch point ) is determine by the actual measure stopping time of the press or system. The stop time value, measured in milli-seconds, is typically measured periodically, according to OSHA and ANSI regulations, using a portable stop time measurement device or by a stand alone permanent time based brake monitor. Refer to OSHA and ANSI regulations for brake monitoring. ( All hand in die secondary operations require a time based brake monitor ). When the stop time value is determined this value is used in a OSHA or ANSI equation to determine the mechanical position of the safety light curtain from the point of operation. The philosophy behind this safety distance is to ensure that the mechanical system will physically stop prior to a body part or object reaching the point of operation. KTI Technologies is a manufacture of Time Based Brake Monitors (BM-2198-AS see FKL 6599R1-A).

C. The safety light vertical guarding height must be of proper size to ensure once the safety light is mounted that a person can not reach over or under the safety light curtain and reach the point of operation. In order to determine physical required sizing a measurement must be taken from the top of the bolster to the bottom of the ram when the ram is at top position and the stroke adjustment is adjusted fully upward. With this measured value typically 6 inches is added and this new value becomes your minimum vertical height requirement for the safety light curtain. When the safety lightcurtain is mount typically 3 inches of the guarding area falls below the bolster and 3 inches of the guarding area is above the ram when at top position. By over extending the protection area above and below typically accounts for detection of angular intrusion above and below the work area. And as per OSHA and ANSI regulations you CAN NOT reach over or under the present sensing device to reach the point of operation. For equipment other than mechanical power presses the guarding height must be of adequate sizing to guard the point of operation, keeping in mind that the operator CAN NOT reach over or under the safety light curtain without light curtain detection.

APPLICATION SUMMARY:

1. The press or Machinery MUST INCORPORATE A PART REVOLUTION CLUTCH DESIGN and the electrical controls must meet current OSHA & ANSI regulations.

2. Determine the full scanning distance for the Safety Light Curtain.

3. Determine the actual mechanical stop time of the press or system for mechanical positioning of the Safety Light Curtains

4. Determine the minimum vertical guarding height.

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