Product Showcase
Pilz Three-dimensional Control & Monitoring
Product/Service Name
Safe Camera System - SafetyEYE®
Function/ApplicationsThis futuristic "eye" developed by Pilz and DaimlerChrysler promises to allow people to work next to robots and other automated machines without physical safety barriers. The innovative "SafetyEYE®" is a safety-related sensing and control system based on machine vision.
Superseding inefficient light curtains and laser area scanners which only monitor a flat plane, the SafetyEYE® provides a non-physical safety barrier that can protect a three-dimensional zone closely matching the hazardous zone. Although mirrors or multiple devices can be used to create faceted protection zones when using light curtains, the protected area is often greater than the hazardous zone - wasting floor space and potentially triggering shut downs earlier than necessary.
Each SafetyEYE® system comprises a sensing device with three greyscale cameras and an analysis unit that contains a high-performance computer and a programmable safety and control system. The three-camera sensor unit is mounted above the application. If a breach of the zones is detected, the system responds within 150 milliseconds to signal an alarm, reduce the speed of operation or halt the process, for example.
Zones can be grouped and muting programmed to enable parts to be fed into or out of a process. If the application requirements change, the zones can be quickly and easily reconfigured in software alone – with no hardware changes.
SafetyEYE® can also be a cost-effective alternative to systems using light curtains, largely due to faster installation times. A conventional safety system can take approximately a day to install whereas the SafetyEYE® system can be installed and commissioned in around two hours.
Differentiating FeaturesFor more information on SafetyEYE® or machine/automation safety solutions call PILZ safety engineers