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Recommendation on Muting
If your machine manufacturer says, “we can’t place a light barrier here because products are passing through,” make sure to ask them about muting. Muting ensures both uninterrupted product flow and maintained safety.
What is a Light Barrier?
Light barriers are devices that create a safety layer between machines and operators. Consisting of a transmitter and a receiver, this system stops the machine when an object or person interrupts the light beam, ensuring safety.
What is Muting?
Muting is the process of safely disabling the light barrier under specific conditions. This is frequently used in material handling systems and production lines. With muting, for example, even if a pallet or material passes through a conveyor system and interrupts the light barrier, the system does not stop, allowing production to continue uninterrupted.
How Does Muting Work?
Muting is typically implemented using sensors and control systems. This system temporarily disables the light barrier when sensors are triggered in a specific sequence. For instance, on a material handling system, if four sensors detect the passage of material in a specific order, the light barrier is disabled.
European Standards and Machinery Directive
The use of muting systems is regulated by standards such as the European Union’s Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and EN ISO 13849-1:2015. These directives and standards outline all necessary technical and organizational measures to ensure the safety of machinery.
- Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC: This directive covers the essential health and safety requirements to be applied in the design and manufacture of machinery. Muting systems must be designed and implemented in compliance with these requirements.
- EN ISO 13849-1:2015: This standard determines the performance levels of safety-related parts of control systems. Muting systems must be designed and tested to meet these performance levels.
Applications of Muting
- Material Handling Systems: Used when pallets or boxes pass through conveyor lines.
- Robotic Cells: Applied when materials need to enter the robot’s working area without stopping the robot.
- Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS): Ensures safety during the transportation of materials in storage systems.
Conclusion
Light barrier muting is a critical technology that enhances both safety and efficiency in modern manufacturing facilities. When properly implemented, it ensures the safety of workers and allows production processes to continue without interruption. Working with an expert team to find suitable muting solutions for your production processes will help you achieve the best results in terms of both safety and efficiency.