Kyoto, Japan – OMRON Corporation (TOKYO: 6645, ADR: OMRNY) has announced the release of new products, the G9SX-SM standstill monitoring unit and G9SX-LM low-speed monitoring unit, to markets.

The G9SX-SM and G9SX-LM encourage operator safety by monitoring the speed of a machine’s rotating parts to determine when it is safe for operators to enter protected areas.

The basic principle for operator safety is the physical separation of operators and machines. This is typically achieved by installing safety features such as a protective fence around hazard sources. However, even when a hazard stops operating in this type of system, the operator cannot immediately enter the area inside the fence, making it difficult to perform maintenance and other irregular operations. These drawbacks have caused problems in operator productivity.

The G9SX-SM and G9SX-LM directly determine the operating condition of a machine by monitoring the speed of rotating parts. The G9SX-SM monitors the back electromotive force (BEMF) of a machine's motor to judge whether the machine has stopped operating, and the G9SX-LM uses a proximity sensor to monitor standstill and speed conditions. The units are effective in the following situations.

G9SX-SM Standstill Monitoring Unit

Conventionally, in order to load or unload a workpiece in a machine with long inertia operation, the time required for the operation to stop is predicted, and an off-delay timer is set to unlock the Guard Lock Safety Door Switch after the operation has stopped. However, because the time until the machine stops operating is subject to change with various operating conditions, this system results in extra wait time.

The G9SX-SM monitors the motor’s movement by its back electromotive force (BEMF), and outputs a signal to unlock the Guard Lock Safety Door Switch as soon as it determines that the motor has stopped moving. This allows the operator to smoothly load or unload a workpiece while being assured of safety and maintaining productivity.

G9SX-LM Low-speed Monitoring Unit

Operators sometimes have to work in the vicinity of a hazard during irregular operations, such as maintenance and adjustments, and it is necessary to operate the machine for work efficiency. Until now, this has been a problem on many production lines because no clear solution has existed for ensuring both safety and productivity.

The G9SX-LM combines with OMRON's E2E proximity sensors to directly sense the operation of a hazard and monitor its speed of rotation. The G9SX-LM is also equipped with an input terminal for an enabling grip switch, and can monitor whether the switch is being pressed. It allows the machine to operate with the door of the protective fence open only when the rotational speed of the hazard source is below a pre-set threshold and the operator is pressing the enabling grip switch. In this way, the G9SX-LM is able to ensure both safety and productivity during irregular operations.