The French automotive supplier Valeo has validated the S3000 Standard safety laser scanner for vertical machine protection in several applications at their La Suze sur Sarthe works. Apart from its Safety Category 3 according to EN 954-1, the possibility of unhindered machine access for operators was the decisive argument.

With sales of over EUR 9 bn. and more than 68,000 employees at almost 130 production sites in 26 countries, Valeo is one of the leaders in the automotive supplier market. The product programme - split into ten application-specific divisions - enjoys a high-tech reputation. Correspondingly, production at the various sites not only exploits the latest production technologies, but also utilises safety technology of the highest standards.
Manual handling of parts requires free access
The machines protected with the S 3000 at Valeo require the manual insertion and removal of workpieces. This immediately ruled out a mechanical protective system. The S 3000 non-contact safety laser scanner simultaneously safeguards the work area and raises machine performance.

The first choice for vertical use thanks to contour monitoring
Response time: 60 ms, resolution: 30 mm, protective field height: about 2 m, with 450 mm distance to the hazardous machine area - these are the facts of the application at Valeo. In practice, this task was only accomplished because the S 3000 had the necessary auxiliary 'contour as reference' function. Without this it would have been impossible to gain certification for vertical use in compliance with EN 61496-3. The scanner exploits this function to reliably detect when a protective field edge, in this case the floor of the hall, changes its relative position to the scanner. This reliably detects any mechanical misalignment of the scanner, and thus any unguarded access to the hazardous area.

The device immediately switches off the protected plant if the actual contour deviates from the reference contour because of any re-alignment of the sensor in its supporting bracket.

Thus the S 3000 offers Valeo and other users a currently unique, real lead in vertical machine protection.