Specialist sensing solutions company Countapulse Controls is making Leuze’s smart process gating (SPG) technology available across sub-Saharan Africa.

Countapulse Controls managing director Gerry Bryant says SPG offers a compact, space saving design as the bridging of a protective field can be done without additional muting sensors.

“Leuze has developed the SPG on the basis of the type 4 safety light curtains in the MLC 500 series, so muting sensors are no longer needed,” says Bryant. “There is also reduced risk of tampering by operating personnel.”

SPG system reduces installation and service costs because there is no setup or alignment of muting sensors; even interrupted parts and pallets with gaps between loading can be safely transported in sequence. The safety system offers high reliability and availability, since there is no risk of misaligned or damaged muting sensors.

Countapulse Controls, headquartered in Johannesburg, has agents in major centres and has been operating for more than 45 years in sub-Saharan Africa. Its strong customer service ethic and engineering and technical support includes a hotline open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Explaining the SPG process, Bryant says a signal is sent by the process controller (PLC) to the safety light curtain shortly before the protective field is entered, in order to interrupt the protective device while the transported material is passing through.

The first gating signal comes from the system control (PLC), whereas the second one is generated by the safety light curtain itself when the protective field is interrupted. SPG therefore requires knowledge of the position of the transported goods so that the necessary PLC control signals are within the correct time window at the safety light curtain.

The MLC 530 SPG safety light curtain specification is designed in accordance with international safety standards. The sensors and the associated documentation concerning the integration of the solution are independently certified.