Safety-certified presence detection in dust

The customer’s challenge:

The customer required a reliable presence detection system to safeguard the area around a hydraulic lift-powered frame used to lift large metal plates during their press plate manufacturing process. Their existing solution relied on four competitor laser scanners, which frequently triggered machine shutdowns due to false presence detection and required numerous control system inputs to manage safety zones and area switching.

During operation, heavy metal plates were lifted and aligned before pressure or heat was applied to ensure no defects or warping when cured. However, dust and metal shavings released from the plates interfered with the competitor scanners, repeatedly triggering false detection errors and unwanted shutdowns.

The solution we provided:

The key challenges were to provide a dependable laser scanner capable of operating in a dusty environment while also reducing the number of control system inputs. The IDEC SE2L Advanced addressed these issues effectively, operating reliably in dusty environments owing to its built-in amplifier, which distinguishes airborne particles from distant obstacles. Its 270-degree wide-area coverage ensured full protection of the monitored area. Additionally, the SE2L’s Master–Slave functionality allowed most slave scanner signals to be managed by the master, significantly reducing control system inputs.