What are the different types of light curtains?

You don’t just “buy a light curtain.” You pick the right type for the hazard, the space, and the line speed. Let’s keep it plain: what the machine does, who gets near it, and how parts move should drive your choice. Below I’ll map the main categories to real shop-floor scenes, add quick tables, and point you to the right spot on our site when you’re ready to spec.

We’re NEW STAR OEM—your one-stop machine safety sensors manufacturer. We build Type 4 and Type 2 safety curtains with OSSD, EDM, restart interlock, muting/blanking, and custom options. If you need an odd size or a weird mounting, no panic—we do OEM/ODM.

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Type 2 vs Type 4 safety light curtains

Type 4 is the workhorse for higher-risk tasks. It offers stronger diagnostics and fault tolerance—ideal for presses, robot cells, and fast cycling equipment.
Type 2 suits lower-risk stations where you’ve got other risk reductions in place.

• If your risk assessment screams “serious,” default to Type 4.
• If the cell is low-energy and well-guarded otherwise, Type 2 may be fine.

Quick pick: When unsure, go Type 4. It saves rework later.
See: Safety Light Curtains

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Point-of-Operation vs Perimeter Access Control

Point-of-Operation (POC) curtains guard the actual danger point—press opening, mold area, pick window.
Perimeter Access Control (PAC) builds a virtual fence around the whole cell, aisle, or tunnel.

• POC = hands near hazard, short reach distances, tighter resolution.
• PAC = people crossing a boundary, taller protective height, corner mirrors, maybe cascading.

See: Safety Light Curtains

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Detection resolution: 14 mm finger, 30 mm hand, 40–50 mm body

Resolution tells you the smallest object the curtain must “see.” Common breakpoints:

• ~14 mm → finger detection (press brakes, fine assembly).
• ~30 mm → hand detection (general machine openings).
• ~40–50 mm → arm/body detection (perimeter guarding, access lanes).

Smaller number = tighter grid = earlier stop. Match it to the body part that can reach the hazard.

See: High-Precision Safety Light Curtain (for finger) and General Use (for hand/body).

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Muting, blanking, and cascading (must-know functions)

• Muting: lets pallets or workpieces pass automatically when logic confirms “that’s material, not a person.” Great for in-feed/out-feed tunnels.
• Blanking (fixed or floating): ignores a blocked beam or a slow-moving constant profile (like a jig) to avoid nuisance trips.
• Cascading: chains multiple curtains to extend height/width or wrap an L-shaped opening with one safety channel set.
• Plus: OSSD outputs, EDM, and manual reset are table-stakes.

See: Multi-Sided Access Protection and General Use

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Ultra-thin & compact safety light curtains (tight mounting, no drama)

When the frame is crowded—guard doors, pick stations, retrofits—you want slim housings:

• Front Ultra-Thin: shallow depth for front-mount plates and tight guards.
• Side Ultra-Thin: narrow width to sit between posts or close to conveyors.
• Compact: balanced size with full feature set for most stations.

These save your day when the last 10 mm decides everything. Alginment gets easier, too.

See: Compact Safety Light Curtain and Side/Front Ultra-Thin

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Heavy machine vs general use

• Heavy Machine: thicker extrusions, shock resistance, long range, high immunity to chips/oil mist. Good for press lines, steel cutting, die-cast cells.
• General Use: everyday guarding for assembly, packaging, pick-and-place, and lab automation.

If the machine shakes, throws debris, or lives near forklifts, pick the heavy class. If not, keep it simple.

See: Heavy Machine and General Use

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Waterproof (IP67/IP69K) safety light curtains

Washdown zones, coolant splash, or dusty saw cells need sealed housings and protected windows. Look for:

• IP67/IP69K options
• Rugged end-caps and window shields
• Brackets that don’t slip after the third hose-down

Food & beverage, pharma, and wet machining really benefit here.

See: Waterproof Safety Light Curtain

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Multi-sided access protection (with corner mirrors)

Instead of four separate systems, you can use corner mirrors to bend the beam around a cell. You get 2-, 3-, or 4-side coverage with one emitter/receiver pair.

• Perfect for robot cells, pallet tunnels, and long in-feed conveyors.
• Plan for range loss per mirror—engineers know this tradeoff and design around it.
• Add muting arms where material must roll through non-stop.

See: Multi-Sided Access Protection

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Measurement light curtains vs safety light curtains

Different job. Measurement light curtains do profiling, DWS dimensioning, part detection, and flow checks. They’re for control and QA—not personnel protection. For guarding people, stick with safety models (Type 2/Type 4 with OSSD).

If your line needs both (size check + safe entry), we can pair a measurement curtain with a safety curtain, clean wiring, one bracket set.

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Non-standard / custom builds (OEM/ODM)

We do odd heights, special beam pitches, bracket kits, field-bus gateways, and matched muting photoeyes. Need a non-reflective window for camera sightlines? A long-range POC with custom restart logic? We can tailor it. This is where bulk buyers and integrators save time across many cells. Yep, makes maintenance easier too.

See: Non-Standard / Custom Safety Light Curtain

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Quick comparison table

Type / Feature	Where it shines	Typical resolution	Mounting class	Function extras that help	Link
Type 4 (POC)	Presses, robot pick windows, die-cast	14–30 mm (finger/hand)	Compact / Ultra-Thin	Restart interlock, EDM	Safety Light Curtains
Type 4 (PAC)	Cell perimeter, tunnel access	30–50 mm (hand/body)	Heavy / General Use	Cascading, corner mirrors	Multi-Sided Access Protection
Type 2 (POC/PAC)	Low-risk stations with other controls	30–50 mm	General Use	Manual reset, EDM	General Use
Waterproof IP67/IP69K	Washdown, coolants, dusty saw lines	14–50 mm	Heavy / Compact	Window shields, sealed caps	Waterproof Safety Light Curtain
Ultra-Thin (Front/Side)	Tight frames, door edges, retrofits	14–30 mm	Ultra-Thin	Quick-mount brackets	Side/Front Ultra-Thin
High-Precision	Small openings, fast stops, fine assembly	14 mm	Compact	Diagnostics, fine alignment	High-Precision Safety Light Curtain
Custom / Non-Standard	Special heights, odd windows, bus I/O	14–50 mm	Any	Muting kits, tailored logic	Non-Standard

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Selection cheat-sheet (real scenes)

• Press brake opening (finger risk) → Type 4, 14 mm, POC, compact or front ultra-thin. Add manual reset and EDM.
• Robot cell with doorway → Type 4 PAC, ≥40 mm, tall height, corner mirrors + cascading.
• Conveyor in-feed tunnel → Type 4 PAC, muting with proper sequence, heavy brackets, mirror if L-shape.
• Electronics bench pick window → Type 4 POC, 14–30 mm, ultra-thin side profile for tight posts.
• Washdown pack line → Waterproof, sealed windows, stainless hardware, manual reset outside splash zone.
• Low-risk test station → Type 2, 30–50 mm, general use housing, clear reset discipline.

If you’re juggling E-stops, interlock switches, and scanners too, we also supply safety devices, photoelectric sensors, and flow sensors for your wider controls stack. One vendor, matching connectors, fewer headaches.