Can Safety Light Curtains Be Used in All Machine Guarding Applications?

No, safety light curtains are highly effective but are not suitable for all machine guarding applications. They are ideal for protecting personnel from hazards in open access areas, especially where frequent interaction with the machine is necessary—but they must be applied correctly to meet safety standards.

Ideal Applications for Safety Light Curtains:

• Presses, stamping machines, and die-cutters

• Robotic work cells with frequent part loading/unloading

• Packaging lines and conveyors

• Assembly stations where full enclosure is impractical

Limitations and Restrictions:

• Not suitable where objects or materials regularly interrupt the beam path, causing unnecessary stops or false triggers

• Not ideal for high-risk areas without proper stop-time measurements—the machine must stop quickly enough to prevent injury (as per ANSI B11.19 and ISO 13855)

• Not a substitute for physical guards where body containment, flying debris, or ejection hazards exist

• Requires regular testing and alignment to maintain effectiveness

Key Consideration:

To comply with OSHA 1910.212 and ANSI standards, light curtains must be installed at the correct distance from the point of operation based on machine stop time and intrusion depth.

In summary: Safety light curtains are powerful safeguarding tools, but they must be used in the right applications, integrated with reliable control systems, and validated through risk assessment to ensure compliance and protection.