Electricity and Control January 2023

COVER ARTICLE

The best move – safety first

F or machine safety solutions there is no such thing as a one fits-all solution. Depending on the size and application, centrally controlled installations, decentralized or those with passive safety are available. However, decentralized safety solutions with IP67 components are the best option for anyone looking for flexibility and short commissioning times for price sensitive applications. For this, Turck Banner has the right safety portfolio for a wide range of application scenarios. Machinery Directive 2006/42/EU requires every manufacturer to assess the risk of their products in order to ensure the safety of persons that come into contact with the machine. Manufacturers follow a three-step process to reduce the risk of danger caused by the machine to an acceptable residual risk. Risks, first of all, have to be minimised by design measures as much as possible. Residual risks must then be reduced through the implementation of technical protection measures. As a third step to reduce risk, the manufacturer is required to provide user information such as operating instructions, which must advise on the correct and proper handling of a product. Decentralized safety systems place personal protection close to the danger points and Ethernet-based safety I/O modules guarantee personal protection directly at the machine module. This enables designers to shorten cycle times and create machines from autonomous units which are easier to expand and can be put into operation faster thanks to standalone tests. High-performance Ethernet-based safety communication connects all units. By distributing the safety logic in the field, non-affected applications remain productive even during an emergency stop of adjacent processes. Benefits of decentralized safety ƒ Accelerated commissioning: Safety applications can be pre-programmed and comprehensively tested on the inte grated safety controller of the I/O modules. This can be done

by the manufacturer – before the machine is integrated into a com plete plant. The elimination of control cabinets and the use of quick con nectors reduce the amount of wiring required, shortening the commis sioning time for the end customer. ƒ Simplified design: In applications

with centralized safety control systems, long bus cycle times and concatenated messages can result in longer response times for the control system. These in turn require greater dis tances between the protective equipment and the sources of danger. Decentralized safety control systems ensure the shortest possible response times and allow new levels of de sign freedom. ƒ Flexibility in expanding machines: In centralized safety systems, machine expansions can require complex wiring or

additional control cabinets. With decentralized, Ethernet based safety technology, modular concepts can be consistently implemented without control cabinets. The modular principle makes the expansion of machines and plants considerably easier. ƒ Cost-effectiveness: Decen tralized, passively designed safety concepts significantly reduce safety costs. Passive safety ensures the voltage of actuators is safely switched off in critical situations (or in the event of an emergency).

A decentralized safety solution installed.

This safety application is controlled by the TBPN (left) for testing in the factory. A Profisafe controller takes over the application in live operation at the plant. All actuators connected to the IO-Link master (centre) are safely disconnected by the TBSB Box (top).

The Turck Banner portfolio offers users a range of safety components – from safety sensors to mechanical switches to safety controllers.

For more information contact Turck Banner.Tel: +27 (0)11 453 2468, Email: sales@turckbanner.co.za,Visit: www.turckbanner.co.za

JANUARY 2023 Electricity + Control

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