Sensor manufacturer Sick has launched a new ultra compact safety laser scanner, the nanoScan3, which it claims to be the smallest of its kind at just 8cm tall.
The product is designed for easy and economical integration into small machine designs, particularly for automated guided vehicles, carts, mobile platforms and service robots. It contains Sick’s latest safety laser scanning technology advances to enable a high level of responsiveness in adjusting a machine’s speed and direction.
The scanner features a full range of programmable features such as multiple dynamically adapting protective fields and contour detection. Sick’s on-board safeHDDM (high definition distance measurement) technology promises reliability with the option of precise data output for use in navigation, even under difficult conditions such as bright lights, sparks, dust and dirt.
The nanoScan3 is also suitable for integration into stationary plant and infrastructure for hazardous point, area and access protection applications, as well offering opportunities for retrofitting into contour or tape guided mobile vehicles.
“The nanoScan3 opens the field for integrating safety laser scanners in all types of small space applications,” said Sick’s UK product manager for machinery safety Dr Martin Kidman. “The nanoScan3 Core and the nanoScan3 Pro models offer a range of features to allow designers, integrators and users to incorporate safety laser scanning into existing equipment and systems, where they would not previously have fitted, as well as offering compact build possibilities for new equipment design,” he added.
A range of safe communication options over standard interfaces allows for easy configuration and diagnostics to be performed on the device or over the network, with minimal cabling.
The product features a protective field range of 3m, with a scanning angle of 275°. It offers a choice of eight (Core) or up to 128 (Pro) freely configurable fields, including navigation data and contour detection fields.
More than 100 events can be stored and analysed, helping to optimise configuration and avoid unscheduled machine downtime. LEDs and clear text displays provide instant operational status viewing.
In addition, Sick’s Safety Designer software enables step by step configuration and access to detailed diagnostic information.