“Safety Light Curtains: The Ultimate Guide to Industrial Safety Solutions”

Why are safety light curtains essential for Industrial Automation?

January 31, 2025 | Blog Post, Venus Automation

What Are Safety Light Curtains?

Safety Light Curtains in the process industry form a very important part of protection and safeguards to the workpeople from hazardous machinery, without loss of work flow efficiency. These advanced photoelectric safety systems develop an invisible guard of infrared beams that detect intrusions and thus promptly actuate a machine stop to avoid injury. Used widely in manufacturing, robotics, and assembly lines, safety light curtains have become a fundamental element of workplace safety strategies.

How Do Safety Light Curtains Work?

The functionality of safety light curtains relies on their ability to detect interruptions to their infrared light beams. A light curtain system consists of an emitter and a receiver facing each other, forming a protective grid of light beams together. If an object or a person obstructs one of these beams, this will be detected by the receiver, which then sends a signal to the machine’s control unit to stop the operation in no time. The speed at which it stops reduces injury, which is very effective in dynamic industrial settings where manual interventions are frequent.

Safety light curtains are integrated appropriately with programmable logic controllers or safety relays to institute safety. The system works complementary to ensure that hazardous equipment like presses, cutters, or robotic arms goes to rest once unauthorized entry is detected. Unlike physical barriers that slow down production, light curtains keep areas accessible while offering robust protection; thus, it is a compromise between safety and efficiency in operation.

Key Components of Safety Light Curtains:

Safety Light Curtains rely on precision components for effective operation. The emitter projects infrared beams in a parallel array while the receiver detects interruptions. Advanced models feature muting sensors, allowing materials to pass without stopping production—crucial for conveyor-based workflows.

These curtains integrate with safety controllers to process signals and enforce protocols. Cascading configurations enable broader coverage, while adjustable resolution settings fine-tune the detection sensitivity. Real-time status updates are available on diagnostic displays to prompt the resolution of issues.

With ever-improving safety regulations and expanding smart manufacturing, safety light curtains improve protection in the workplace without hindering productivity and thus are indispensable to modern industry.

Output Devices & Alternatives:

While selecting a robust safety input method is vital to any industrial safety system, equally critical is the ability to monitor and respond appropriately to those inputs. The safety monitoring and output range at Venus Automation provides tailored solutions to meet the needs of diverse machines and projects.

A key component in modern safety systems is the safety PLC. These programmable devices allow custom safety logic, with flexible input/output terminal assignments. Venus Automation can supply a variety of models, including the MOSAIC PLC from ReeR, Samos PLC from Wieland, and GEMNIS PLC from Pizzato—each delivering advanced and reliable safety functionality.

Where complex programmability is unnecessary, alternative options such as the safety relay range are available. This includes standalone relays, time-delay relays, speed-monitoring relays, standstill monitoring and timer relays, PCB relays, relay expansion modules, and control relays like the emergency stop relay, safety edge relay, light curtains relay, and two-hand control relay. These options provide effective and application-specific safety responses.

However, it is important to note that a light curtain may not be the best safety input solution for every industrial scenario. Other safety input systems supplied by Venus Automation include laser scanners, safety edge and mounting systems, contact mats, bumpers or proximity sensors, including non-contact switches with magnetic, RFID, or stainless-steel elements. Alternatively, for machines that cannot be stopped easily, interlock devices such as tongue solenoid interlock switches, electro-magnetic switches, or the multifunctional gatebox may be preferable.

No matter the choice, Venus Automation is dedicated to providing the best solution for your system!