Equipment selection for PATLITE signalling and lighting

Identify the device before selecting a part

Start with the complete device marking and a clear photograph of the component to be replaced. Distinguish a light module, buzzer, base, cover, cable or mounting bracket. A picture of one coloured lens does not establish the supply or connection used by the complete tower.

Include the machine position so the mounting arrangement is visible.

When a marking is damaged, send the overall dimensions and the relevant wiring diagram instead of guessing the remaining characters. Record the number of tiers, colour order and whether a sound unit is fitted. Keep different base versions on separate request lines even when the towers look similar.

This produces a defined replacement task and helps decide whether to select one module or a complete assembly.

Define the electrical interface

Record the rated supply shown on the device and the type of source available at the installation. Then describe how the controller activates each light or sound. Supply voltage and control input are separate selection points.

For an existing LR6 assembly, the base code is part of the information required to choose a replacement module.

Send the terminal diagram or a connector photograph showing its contact arrangement. Include the controller output type and identify signals already assigned to individual wires. A new installation benefits from a signal table that maps machine events to indication.

Agree the mapping across all stations involved in the project. The site electrician checks the final connection against the manual for the selected model before the equipment is energised.

Check mounting and the installation environment

Provide the fixing arrangement, hole spacing, available height and cable entry direction. Show whether the device mounts directly, on a pole or on a bracket. State whether the existing holes must be retained and whether there is access to the fasteners during maintenance.

A wider photograph can be more useful than a close-up of the lens.

Describe temperature, dust, moisture, cleaning and contact with process fluids. An enclosure rating must be read together with the specific model and its installation conditions. For damaged covers or seals, photograph the affected area.

With a work light, also show moving machine parts and the intended direction of illumination. These inputs allow the equipment and its mounting accessories to be considered as one defined installation package.

Turn the operating sequence into an indication plan

For a new tower, list each machine state, the required colour, lighting effect, sound and the operator action. Separate normal running, waiting for material, cycle completion and faults.

The purpose of the display is to make these conditions distinguishable at the actual viewing position, so the number of tiers should follow the sequence.

LA6 is relevant when the project calls for configurable colour patterns; LR is relevant to a modular tower arrangement. If indication changes after a timed interval or a sequence of input pulses, describe the complete cycle. Include viewing distance, direction and surrounding light.

When replacing an existing system, provide the site indication legend so the equipment selection can retain familiar meanings for the people who use it.

Specify network and IO-Link requirements

For NHV, identify the source of the event, such as a network device, software system or machine controller. State the required response, voice language and whether digital inputs or outputs are needed. If network power is required, name the NHV-DP version explicitly.

An Ethernet connection alone does not establish that the requested unit supports PoE.

For LR6-IL, supply the IO-Link master model, port details and desired arrangement of light and sound modules. A discrete-input tower, a network annunciator and an IO-Link device use different integration paths. Have the automation engineer confirm the interface and signal list before ordering.

The proposed package can then distinguish the annunciator, connecting cable, mounting hardware and configuration work to be performed by the receiving site.

Plan the wireless path on the factory floor

For WIO, send a layout showing transmitter and receiver positions. Mark walls, metal enclosures, machinery and moving obstructions between the points. A line-of-sight range does not calculate coverage inside a particular factory.

The selection request therefore needs the real installation geometry rather than the straight-line distance alone.

List the states to be transferred, the groups involved and the devices to be driven at the receiving end. Identify the power available at each position and the required behaviour if communication is interrupted. For an extension, include the markings of installed units.

The site should verify operation at the proposed mounting positions during commissioning. Use those observations to finalise placement and the connection to the machine signals; radio indication should be assessed within the wider project requirements.

Choose sound and beacon behaviour for a defined event

For EHS, explain what each sound means, such as requesting assistance, completing a process or reporting a fault. State how the controller selects a sound, whether attenuation is needed and where the unit will be mounted. The complete code also distinguishes cable and terminal connection versions.

For SF08 and SF10, begin with the effect operators need to recognise: flashing, pulsing or simulated rotation. Then confirm the supply and mounting. If a simple beacon is being replaced by a configurable device, review whether existing signals can operate the chosen sequence.

Ambient noise, hearing protection and visibility belong in the site assessment. Equipment selection provides the defined hardware inputs; it does not substitute for the plant notification system design or its commissioning procedure.

Select lighting around the work area

For CLK-02, show the area to be illuminated and its distance from the proposed light position. Include the workpiece, mounting points and any requirement to change the beam direction.

The standard and spot lenses distribute light differently, so a replacement request should describe the inspection or process observation task.

State exposure to coolant, chips and cleaning products. Give the complete light code because illuminated length alone does not identify the connection. If several lights are needed, mark their positions on a drawing and identify the power source.

Keep the light, cable and mounting accessories as separate lines in the equipment package. Before installation, the receiving site checks the wiring, access and clearance from moving components against the selected device documentation.

Prepare a quotation request for an equipment package

Send a list with complete model codes, quantities, the function of each item and the delivery destination. Repair requests need the device marking and a description of the symptom. New projects need the signal table, mounting layout and interface requirements.

Identify which lines represent complete devices and which are modules or accessories.

SpareX uses this information to define the proposed equipment package and the technical questions still to be resolved. The item list can include signal towers, network annunciators, beacons, sound devices and work lights within the same project.

Keep receiving requirements, packing constraints and the requested document list with the enquiry. A shared line reference for each machine position helps the engineering and purchasing teams check the same configuration before order confirmation and again when the equipment is received.

Check the package before installation

At receipt, compare the markings on the devices with the agreed item list and check quantities, connection versions and mounting accessories. For a modular tower, check the base and individual tiers separately.

For a work light, check the model, lens option and cable connection; for a network device, record the complete version code.

Keep the link between each item and its intended machine position. Before fitting the devices, the receiving site performs the connection checks required by the relevant documentation. Agree the event table for programmable indication and retain configuration records using the plant procedure.

If a discrepancy is found, send a photograph of the marking together with the affected item reference. This provides a precise starting point for checking the package without reconstructing the order from the appearance of the equipment.