The benefits of the V300 are both financial and operational. Purchase costs are lower compared to a typical light curtain, the installation time is shorter and alignment and commissioning needs no specialist equipment or training.

Suitable for rectangular openings and access points, the installation process could not be easier. Simply mount the V300 in the most convenient corner of the opening, apply the rugged reflector strip along two opposite adjacent lengths and press the teach button.

For larger openings or machines that require guarding on two adjacent sides, a pair of V300 units can be synchronised together to offer greater flexibility than normally achieved using traditional optical light curtains.

The reflector strip forms a background target for the V300 and the device has a detection capability equivalent to a 20mm resolution light curtain. The device can cope with dirt build up and what would appear to be serious scratching or damage to the reflective strip before it needs replacing. Even so, a new adhesive strip can be replaced and the device reset with a “push to teach” function in a matter of minutes.

Whether you are an end user, supplier or machine builder, the V300 offers many logistical advantages. Each device can be taught to protect different size openings and the unit itself is no bigger than a traditional SLR camera. This means that factories with many applications can be supported by fewer spare parts and limits the necessity for many different lengths of light curtain to be stocked.

Fully equipped with Reset and External Device Monitoring (EDM) the V300 will interface with standard light curtain relays, SICK muting modules and controllers without any changes. The result is a versatile, easy to use system for applications where the hazard is estimated to require SIL2, Category 3 (EN954) or Performance Level (PL) d (BS EN13849).

The V300 is just one of a number of innovations from SICK. The V200, for lower risk applications will be launched in the next few months.