Idec releases SE2L, ‘the world’s smallest’ safety laser scanner

Apr. 6, 2017 – Idec says its new SE2L safety laser scanner is the world’s smallest and first with master/slave functionality and dual protection zones.

The scanner is certified for use in safety applications including AGVs, forklifts, robots and other items of moving equipment found in industrial facilities. Master/slave functionality allows one SE2L scanner to act as master and communicate with up to three other scanners, explains the company, adding that the safety controller only needs to communicate with the master, reducing the required number of input and communication channels on the controller. This can allow lower-cost safety controllers to be used in applications such as providing full 360-degree protection for an AGV, which requires four scanners. Dual zone protection allows one SE2L scanner to scan two adjacent zones “simultaneously and independently,” performing the work of two scanners for the cost of one, notes Idec. A common application is providing dual light curtain protection for two robots mounted side by side, it adds. The scanner boasts a 270-degree arc of protection at a distance up to 20 meters. Housed in an IP65 enclosure, it is certified for use in Safety Category 3, Performance Level d (PLd), Safety Integrity Level 2 (SIL2) applications.