Julio 10, 2006
The principle of decentralization has gained acceptance in machine installations by using field bus technology. The focus is now being concentrated on increasing economic viability. You may therefore be surprised to hear that conventional wiring is still taking up a considerable amount of room in safety technology. It is less of a surprise that increasing numbers of I/O modules of active, reliable systems are forcing their way onto the market.
Active safety technology products are powerful and even comply with the maximum category 4 requirements in accordance with EN standard 954-1. The best possible solution? Not always, because their performance capability often surpasses the actual requirements. In mechanical engineering for example, about 90 percent of technical safety equipment only complies with category three, in which case the use of active safety technology is neither rational nor economical.
Murrelektronik provides an attractive solution for these application areas with its passive safety technology. A solution that allows you to work safely at less cost. The solution complies with all category three requirements of the EN 954-1 standard, is technically balanced and saves money. Passive safety technology represents a combination of well-known elements, combining standard field bus module and technologies that have been successfully used for many years with safety-related requirements. This makes machine installation easier.
The fact that well-known and successful concepts and principles flow into the solution means that existing know-how can continue to be used. There is no need to familiarize with new technology. Short and sweet: A multitude of benefits make it possible to start using passive safety technology, and there are many good reasons why this alternative has milestone character on the road to safety technology.
Emergency stop switch: Rapidly connected without problems
The installation of conventional EMERGENCY STOP loops requires intensive preparation and represents a potential error source when wiring work is being carried out. Terminal boxes also take up a considerable amount of room in the field. Passive safety distributors can replace manually wired terminal boxes, and have several advantages compared to the conventional method.
Up to six two-channel EMERGENCY STOP buttons can be quickly and easily connected to a passive safety distributor with standard M12 cables. The distributor is pre-wired and automatically interconnects the individual buttons to form an EMERGENCY STOP loop. Sockets that are not required can be closed off with jumper plugs. Two separate M12 sockets are available for acknowledge switches or lamps. Passive safety distributors also make machinery easier to service and maintain: The distributor indicates the point at which the EMERGENCY STOP loop has been interrupted by a button being pressed.
The decisive advantages of the passive safety distributor compared to conventional wiring are the low planning cost, the time that is saved during installation, the reduced amount of space, the reduction in wiring errors, the ease of servicing and the reduced amount of stop time.