Safety laser scanners require careful selection because the protective field, resolution, and response time directly determine whether the scanner will stop the hazard in time. The application's safety distance calculation under ISO 13855 ties scanner specs to physical layout — substituting a scanner with different specs may invalidate the layout.
Specs to confirm before ordering:
- Exact OEM part number with all option codes
- Protective field range — typically 3 m, 4 m, 5.5 m, or longer
- Resolution: 30 mm (hand), 40 mm (leg), 50 mm or larger (body) — chosen per the hazard
- Response time and total system stopping time
- Number of monitoring cases (field sets) — important for AGVs with speed-dependent fields
- Communication: dedicated OSSD outputs, Profinet/PROFIsafe, EtherCAT/FSoE, CIP Safety
- Mounting: standard, recessed, or with shock-absorbing bracket
- IP rating — IP65 standard, outdoor-rated versions for outside use
- Heating option for cold storage
- Configuration software (Sick Safety Designer, Omron Safety Configurator, etc.)
Common gotchas: a safety laser scanner is configured for a specific protective field shape — replacing one without uploading the original configuration leaves the scanner with default or no fields and no real protection. AGV scanners with multiple field sets switch based on speed input from the AGV controller; the field-switching logic is part of the configuration. Outdoor scanners look like indoor ones but have specific environmental ratings and ambient-light suppression; using an indoor scanner outside causes nuisance trips from sunlight. Mounting height and tilt matter — a scanner aimed slightly upward fails to detect low-lying intrusion.
Typical applications: perimeter protection on robotic cells, access protection on automated guided vehicles and mobile robots, hazardous-zone protection on machining and welding cells, and approach protection on hazardous material-handling equipment. On legacy installations, in-kind replacement preserves the configuration and the safety distance.
For obsolete safety laser scanners, send the OEM part number for a sourcing quote.
