What are Optovex Photocells?

Optovex photocells (often called photoelectric safety beams) are:

Active infrared safety sensors used to detect obstacles in door or gate openings and prevent closing when obstructed.

They are widely used in:

• Roller shutter doors
• Sliding & swing gates
• Sectional industrial doors

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Operating Principle

Optovex photocells use a through-beam infrared system:

• A transmitter (TX) emits an infrared beam
• A receiver (RX) detects the beam on the opposite side
• If the beam is interrupted:
  • The system sends a signal to the control panel
  • The door/gate stops or reverses immediately

This is a non-contact detection method, meaning no physical contact is required to trigger safety

The beam acts like a “virtual tripwire” across the opening

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Safety Function

Primary role:

• Prevent entrapment, crushing, or collision

What happens when beam is broken:

• Door stops closing
• Or reverses to open position
• Or prevents closing entirely if obstruction is present

This is standard across gate/door safety systems

Key Features (Optovex-type systems)

Active Infrared Technology

• Uses LED infrared emitter + photodiode receiver
• Typical wavelength ≈ near infrared (~0.9 µm)

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Fail-safe operation

• Often wired as Normally Closed (NC):
  • If cable breaks or power fails → system goes into safe state (door won’t close)

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Immunity to interference

• Pulsed or coded infrared beam:
  • Filters out sunlight, headlights, lightning
• Built-in optical filters improve reliability

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Fast response time

• Typical response:
  • ~20–30 ms (industry standard)

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Alignment-based detection

• Requires proper alignment between TX and RX
• LED indicators usually included for setup

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Flexible configurations

• Available as:
  • Through-beam (TX/RX pair) → most common
  • Retro-reflective (single unit + reflector)

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Technical Specifications (Typical Optovex Photocell)

Electrical

• Supply voltage:
  • 12–24V AC/DC (common)
  • Some models up to 230–240V
• Current consumption:
  • ~30–80 mA

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Detection

• Range:
  • 10 m (standard gate/door use)
  • Up to 30–60 m (industrial/security beams)
• Detection type:
  • Presence / obstruction detection

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Output

• Relay output:
  • NO (Normally Open)
  • NC (Normally Closed) selectable
• Used for:
  • Safety circuit input on control panel

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Environmental

• Operating temperature:
  • ~ -20°C to +55°C (typical range)
• Protection rating:
  • IP54 – IP65 (dust & water resistant typical)

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Physical

• Compact housing:
  • Wall or column mounted
• Adjustable brackets for alignment

Installation Configuration

Standard setup:

Installed:

• On gate posts or door frames
• Typically 300–600 mm above ground (vehicle/person detection)

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Wiring (typical 4-wire):

• 2 × power
• 2 × signal (relay output to controller)