Area Protection

Protect openings, danger zones and machine access

Optoelectronic and radar-based protective equipment detects a person approaching or entering a hazardous area and commands a stop, without a physical guard. The right technology follows from what must be detected, the geometry of the area, the machine stopping performance and the conditions on the shop floor.

Finger, hand and body detection 2D area monitoring Radar for harsh environments PSEN sensor technology

Discuss Area Protection Compare Sensing Technologies

275°PSENscan opening angle

5.5 mPSENscan protected field

Type 2–4Device types available

Pilz PSENscan safety laser scanner for two-dimensional machine area protection

PSENscanSafety laser scanner, PROFINET / PROFIsafe variant

275°PSENscan opening angle

3 / 5.5 mPSENscan safety zone, 40 m warning zone

62 msPSENscan reaction time

IP65PSENscan protection type

Sensing technology

Safety technology selection by application

Light curtains, laser scanners and radar solve different problems. The decision is driven by detection capability, the shape of the area to be protected and the physical environment — not by device preference.

Light curtain

Defined access plane

PSENopt II

Safety light curtains built for demanding industrial conditions, where the protective field must sit tight against the machine and survive shock, cold and dust.

Type 3 versions for applications up to PL d, plus Type 4 versions
Shock resistance of 50g; operation down to −25 °C
No dead zones; coding allows sensors to be mounted close together
Direct connection to PDP67 decentralised modules via 5-pin connector

Best fitRugged machinery, cold stores, dusty production, tight mounting situations.

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Light curtain Pilz PSENopt safety light curtain for machine access protection

Cyclic intervention

PSENopt

The broader light-curtain series for machines where an operator intervenes as part of every cycle, with variants that add process-driven functions.

Applications up to PL c (Type 2) and PL e (Type 4)
PSENopt Advanced adds muting, blanking and cascading
PSENopt slim offers integrated cascading for space-critical mounting
Covers finger protection through to body-protection light barriers

Best fitLoading points, presses and assembly stations with repeated manual intervention.

Laser scanner

2D area monitoring

PSENscan

A two-dimensional safety laser scanner for areas that a straight protective plane cannot describe, with freely configurable warning and protected fields.

Opening angle 275°; operating range 3 / 5.5 m safety zone, 40 m warning zone
EN IEC 61496-1 (Type 3), EN ISO 13849-1 (PL d / Cat. 3), IEC 61508 (SIL 2)
Reaction time 62 ms; IP65; ambient range −10 to +50 °C
Muting, EDM and override depending on device version

Best fitRobot cells, floor-area guarding, rear-access protection and AGV/AMR vehicles.

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Radar

Harsh environments

PSENradar

Radar-based protection-zone monitoring for situations where optical sensing reaches its limits, because the sensing principle is largely unaffected by airborne contamination.

Insensitive to dust, dirt, rain, light, sparks and shock
Suited to outdoor use, heavy industry and woodworking
Combined with safe control technology as a complete zone-monitoring route
Performance level, ranges and zone configuration to be confirmed per project

Best fitSawmills, foundries, outdoor plant and heavy material processing.

Technology selection

Match the sensing principle to the protection task

Use this as a first-pass engineering direction. The final device follows from the calculated minimum distance, the required detection capability and the verified machine stopping performance.

Protection task	Safety route	Why it fits	Key selection variable	Architecture note
Intervention at a defined opening	PSENopt / PSENopt II	A flat protective field across the opening detects entry without obstructing the process.	Detection capability and protected field height	Evaluate through a safety relay or configurable safety controller.
Cyclic loading with material pass-through	PSENopt Advanced	Muting and blanking allow material to pass while people remain detected.	Muting arrangement and sensor geometry	Muting sequence and timing must be engineered with the controller.
Floor area in front of or around a machine	PSENscan	A 275° two-dimensional field follows the real cell shape rather than a straight line.	Zone geometry and required range	Configured with the PSENscan Configurator; series connection is supported.
Person stepping behind a protective device	PSENscan	An area field can cover the space a light curtain leaves unmonitored behind it.	Standing-area depth and reset position	Reset must not be reachable from inside the hazardous area.
Mobile vehicle route protection	PSENscan	Explicitly suited to stationary and mobile area guarding, including AGV systems.	Vehicle speed, braking distance and field switching	Field sets change with vehicle state; the controller governs switching.
Dust, sparks, moisture or heavy contamination	PSENradar	Radar sensing is not degraded by the airborne conditions that disturb optical devices.	Environmental conditions and zone definition	Confirm current device scope and control pairing for the project.

Minimum distance governs the installation. Protective equipment must be mounted at the distance calculated from the measured machine stopping time and the applicable standard. Detection capability, approach direction and the possibility of reaching over, under or around the field all change that calculation.

Applications

These technologies are applied

Each situation below changes the protective device, its mounting position and the reset arrangement.

Robot packaging cell with a stationary protection zone monitored by a Pilz PSENscan safety laser scanner

Robot cell

Danger-zone monitoring

A configured protected field covers the floor area a robot can reach, with a warning field slowing or alerting before the protected field is broken.

Typical routePSENscan into a configurable safety controller.

Protection against a person stepping behind a safeguarded area in a robot packaging cell

Standing-behind risk

Rear-access protection

Where a person can remain between a protective device and the hazard, the standing area itself has to be monitored so the machine cannot be restarted with someone inside.

Typical routeArea monitoring plus a reset positioned outside the zone.

Access protection at a machine opening monitored by a Pilz safety laser scanner

Access monitoring

Entry to the cell

Access points that stay open for material flow need detection that distinguishes a person entering from the process itself passing through.

Typical routeLight curtain with muting, or a scanner access field.

Before selection or quotation

Engineering prerequisites

These inputs determine the device type, its size and where it can be mounted. Without them a part number cannot be responsibly proposed.

Hazard and detection

What movement or hazard must be stopped
Whether finger, hand or body detection is required
Approach direction, and whether reaching over, under or around is possible
Whether a person can remain inside the hazardous area

Machine performance

Measured stopping time of the complete machine, not the motor rating
Available mounting distance from the hazard
Required performance level or safety integrity level, if already determined
Existing safety controller or relay, and spare safe inputs

Geometry and mounting

Height and width of the opening, or the shape of the floor area
Available mounting surfaces, posts, brackets or mirrors
Proximity of other optical devices that could interfere
Whether the device travels with a vehicle or stays stationary

Environment and operation

Dust, moisture, sparks, vibration, ambient light and temperature
Whether material must pass the protective field during the cycle
Reset and restart arrangement and its physical position
Required diagnostics, interface and cable lengths

Related systems

The sensor is one part of the safety function

A protective device detects. The safety function is only complete when detection, safe evaluation, the safe output and the machine response are engineered and validated together.

PSENopt II via PDP67 decentralised modules

Series connection of multiple scanners

Evaluation in PNOZmulti 2

Larger architectures with PSS 4000

Safe outputs to contactors or drives

Diagnostics to the standard controller

Four Pilz PSENscan safety laser scanners in series connection with a PNOZmulti 2 safety controller

Modernising an existing machine?Retrofit routes across the complete safety portfolio, including what can justifiably remain in place, are set out inMachine Safety Retrofit & Modernisation.