OMRON Corporation (HQ: Shimogyo-Ku, Kyoto. CEO: Yoshihito Yamada) announced the release in June of its new F3SG-SR/PG Series comprising the industry's broadest^*1 portfolio of 164 safety light curtains.^*2 The F3SG-SR/PG Series provides finger, hand, leg, and body protection across production lines--from machine openings to perimeters of equipment. This contributes to standardization of safety system design which is becoming more complex. Moreover, these new IO-Link^*3 products bring IoT to manufacturing floors. Preventing unexpected machine stoppages, the F3SG-SR/PG Series helps boost productivity, ensure safety at manufacturing sites and implement preventive maintenance.

The safety light curtain (hereinafter "light curtain") is a sensor used in safety systems to protect workers from hazardous sources, such as moving parts of production equipment, at manufacturing sites. When a worker interrupts a beam of light between the emitter and receiver that are installed facing each other, the light curtain detects entry into the hazardous area and outputs a signal to safely stop the equipment.

In order to satisfy diverse consumers' needs, manufacturers now need to improve mix and volume flexibility. In addition, as products become more advanced, manufacturing equipment becomes more sophisticated and complex. Since these changes in manufacturing make production line layouts more complex, most manufacturers are using various types of light curtains. Designers have to carefully choose the right light curtain for each location to build safety systems. It also takes a long time to identify the causes of equipment stoppages and take preventive measures to avoid future repetitions of such stoppages because there is no data.

The new F3SG-SR/PG Series provides four protection applications (finger, hand, leg, and body) and protective heights ranging from 160 to 2,480 mm^*4. In addition to the broadest lineup in the industry, this series complies with global safety standards. This means that one series covers all protection applications, from machine openings to perimeters of equipment, which facilitates selection and design. The Area Beam Indicator of each beam provides an at-a-glance check of the beam status including low light intensity. Information about equipment stoppages caused by other than workers' entry can be monitored via the status indicators and configuration tool for PC: SD Manager 3. The F3SG-SR/PG Series helps manufacturers identify the causes of equipment stoppages and prevent reoccurrence, improving productivity.

Features

Simple standardization of design
The industry's broadest lineup eliminates complexity of selection and design, saving time and effort during the design stages. This series covers all protection applications from machine openings to perimeters of equipment and all products share the same methods of installation and wiring, which facilitates standardization of design.

Easy set-up and maintenance
Visualized beam status allows one engineer to easily install a light curtain. With the three-color Area Beam Indicator, the engineer can see the beam status from a distance, which significantly reduces beam adjustment time.
A variety of accessories for complex muting applications, including muting sensor mounter and reduced wiring system, greatly reduce wiring work during line installation and maintenance.

More stable equipment operation
The temperature range down to -30℃ and IP67G water/oil resistance ensure stable operation even under harsh conditions. In addition, the high-power optical system maintains light intensity for a long time.
The Area Beam Indicator turns orange when the light intensity is low or the optical surface gets dirty. This clear indicator helps prevent unexpected equipment stoppages.

Quick maintenance
The status indicators show status, such as replacement-recommended error and safety output OFF, which makes error diagnosis easier.
Predictive maintenance and integrated status management through information monitoring via IO-Link optimize equipment and line maintenance.
Furthermore, settings backed up using the intelligent tap^*5 are automatically restored after the light curtain is replaced. Virtually anyone can easily replace light curtains and restart the machine.

*1. Based on OMRON investigation in April 2019.

*2. The F3SG-PG Series will be available soon.

*3. IO-Link, which is specified as international standard IEC 61131-9, is an open information technology (interface technology) between sensors or actuators and the I/O terminal. Major automotive manufacturers in Japan use IO-Link and EtherCAT® as the interface for communication to introduce industrial IoT and encourage their suppliers around the world to use IO-Link devices.

*4. Hand protection (detection capability: 25-mm dia.).

*5. Settings can be copied and pasted between light curtains without using a PC, reducing time and effort to install many machines. Backed up settings are automatically restored at power on.

OMRON set forth a concept called "innovative-Automation!" consisting of three innovations or "i's"--"integrated" (control evolution), "intelligent" (development of intelligence by ICT), and "interactive" (new harmonization between people and machines). OMRON is now committed to bringing innovation to manufacturing sites by materializing this concept. By helping build safety systems using the F3SG-SR/PG-series Safety Light Curtains across all phases from design through to maintenance, OMRON continues to pursue remarkable enhancements in productivity and safety for the global manufacturing industry and accelerates the materialization of "innovative-Automation!" together with its client companies.

"innovative-Automation!"

Recently, OMRON has developed a manufacturing innovation concept, called "innovative-Automation!" With this concept, OMRON is currently committed to bringing innovation to manufacturing sites through three key innovations, or three "i's." Through these innovations in the area of automation, OMRON aims to enable significant productivity improvements in manufacturing sites in order to achieve high-value-added manufacturing. With the first "i," "integrated" (control evolution), OMRON will seek to advance automated control technology so that virtually any operator, even inexperienced operators, can effortlessly perform work that previously required the expert skills of experienced workers. With the second "i," "intelligent" (development of intelligence by ICT), OMRON seeks to create constantly evolving equipment and production lines. By adopting a wide range of control devices and artificial intelligence (AI), machines can learn through experience and maintain themselves in optimal condition. For the third "i," "interactive" (new harmonization between people and machines), OMRON pursues the development of a new harmonious relationship between human operators and machines. Working together in the same workspace, machines will be able to assist human operators by recognizing human thoughts and behavior.

About OMRON Corporation

OMRON Corporation is a global leader in the field of automation based on its core technology of "Sensing & Control + Think". OMRON's business fields cover a broad spectrum, ranging from industrial automation and electronic components to automotive electronic components, social infrastructure systems, healthcare, and environmental solutions. Established in 1933, OMRON has over 35,000 employees worldwide, working to provide products and services in 117 countries. In the field of industrial automation, OMRON supports manufacturing innovation by providing advanced automation technologies and products, as well as through extensive customer support, in order to help create a better society. For more information, visit OMRON's website at: https://www.omron.com/

Contact (media):: Brand Communications Department
OMRON Corporation
TEL: +81-75-344-7175
Contact (product information):: Safety Division, Product Business Division HQ.
Industrial Automation Company
OMRON Corporation
TEL: +81-75-344-7116

OMRON Offers the Industry's Broadest Portfolio of Safety Light Curtains--F3SG-SR/PG Series