3D Safety Radar sensors offer advantages over traditional safety presence sensing devices like light curtains, laser scanners and safety mats in many applications:
What problems do Safety Radar sensors solve:
- Immunity to debris such as dust, splashing liquids or smoke.
- Because the sensor detects movement, the environment can change. An object can be moved into or out of the safety zone and as long as it does not move when the machine is restarted it will be ignored by the sensor. Humans are always protected though, because even if they stand completely still the sensor detects micro-movements of their breathing.
- Immunity to light, so it can be used outdoors.
How does 3D radar work:
A 3D radar sensor measures the distance and speed of an object by measuring the reflection of the radio waves that strike it.
The system is composed of a transmitter and receiver housed in a single unit. The transmitter transmits electromagnetic waves, while the receiver captures the waves reflected off an object when they bounce back.
By analyzing the differences between the emitted and received waves, it is possible to calculate the distance of the object that reflected the waves, its speed and estimate other properties of the object.
Electromagnetic waves are extremely resistant to disturbances, like dust, debris, smoke, fog or darkness, and they travel at the speed of light, approximately 300,000 km/s.
What does a system consist of:
The system consists of the 3D radar sensor, and a control unit that can handle up to 6 radar sensors. It has 1 Safety Output, 2 relay outputs for other signaling devices such as light towers and 3 configurable inputs for muting and other functions.
Easy to use software is used to configure the system. It also provides system status, system validation and maintenance functionality.
What else do I need to know:
- Each sensor has a 4 meter range. Larger areas can be covered using multiple sensors
- The system is SIL2 / PLd
- Muting functionality is built in
- Two 3D sensing fields to choose from (see below)
- The system is reasonably priced. As an example, a system with 2 sensors and a controller is under $2000 and software is free.
- Inxpect System Overview and Datasheet Link
- Robotic Cell Restart Prevention Video
- Dangerous Area Access Protection Video
- Mobile Industrial Vehicle Protection Video