SENSOR APPLICATIONS
Electrically conductive PRE-ELEC® plastics for safety edges
Safety edges are sensors that protect people from closing doors and hatches. The safety edge with a sensor will detect if, for example, a car gets in a way of a closing garage door. It then will signal the motor to stop closing the door.
Example: A garage door

A safety edge made of a PRE-ELEC® compound makes it safe to close a garage door. When the door touches something solid, such as a car or a person, the profile bends temporarily. The bending acts as contact detection and sends a signal to the door mechanism to stop its movement. Unless such safety measures are included in systems operating with powerful motors, a serious level of danger is present.
Operating principle
The safety edge operation principle is demonstrated. The pressure-activated contact sends an electric current between the + and – terminals, which can be used as an input for electronics, i.e., current implies a contact, and lack of current implies the safety edge is not in contact with anything.

