Clean, lean & mean:
Making production processes more efficient and safer
In the global food market, Belgian machine builders and OEMs stand out for their high-quality machines. Machines that are often built to customer specifications and provide a safe working environment for personnel. Machine safety is high on the agenda during the development and construction of the machines.
From simple to complex
For manufacturers and OEMs active in machine safety, three options are broadly open for the safety system. The simplest is based on a few I/Os and modest requirements - here standard safety relays, such as the Sentry series, are sufficient. This is distinguished by an economical, simple design that can be deployed immediately. If the number of I/O points is greater or more sophisticated functions are required then the safety controllers are an obvious choice. This is soon the case when higher requirements are placed on communication to a PLC. A good example is the Pluto series where common safety equipment can be connected directly and programmed with the corresponding software.
The third option is PLCs with integrated safety - these are used when dealing with more complex systems with many I/Os. They are flexible to use and offer as many safety functions as safety controllers. Because machine control and safety functions are performed by a single controller, communication is easier and configuration can be done in a consistent programming environment. Advanced diagnostics also supports engineers and end users in day-to-day operations.
Importance of standardization
The complexity of machine safety systems can be reduced as much as possible by standardization. After all, the machine builder has to deal with an enormous variety of laws and regulations, preconditions, exceptions and additional legislation for machines for the food industry. A typical example of standardization in machine safety is the multifunctional Sentry safety relay. In these, different safety functions can be defined so that different safety functions can be created with one component. This saves engineering time and avoids unnecessary complexity.
Making machines better
Today's safety products are also so smart and advanced that they do more than just ensure machine safety. They make the machine better. For example, these smart solutions practically always generate data that can be used for monitoring and diagnoses. In addition, they increase the operability of the machine. In practice, this ensures that employees no longer have the temptation to override safety measures. More pleasant work then leads to less downtime and higher productivity.
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