Phil Pearce
Safety is a key factor in any manufacturing company. Over the years, SMC Corporation Australia New Zealand (ANZ) has placed great emphasis on developing security-oriented solutions for customers in all industries.
By SMC Corporation OEM and Key Account Manager and Certified Machine Safety Expert (CMSE) Phil Pearce.
Offering compliant security products is critical. Achieving the required level of functional safety is a detailed task that must be performed by qualified engineers.
SMC believes that worker safety and increasing productivity are essential. With efficient design, you can reduce risk and increase productivity at the same time. SMC has developed a large number of safety-related components that can be used in a safe pneumatic system.
Five steps to safety
Here are the five steps to safety – from risk assessment to safety function:
1. Risk assessment: Customers looking to improve their security processes should start with a risk assessment. Whether you're upgrading an existing system or designing a completely new system, it all starts with a risk assessment. Potential dangers and risks are analyzed here in accordance with ISO 12100. If disposal is not possible, risk mitigation is required. This includes the evaluation of all operating states of the system: automatic mode, maintenance mode, cleaning, etc.
2. Risk reduction: If you cannot eliminate all risks in Step 1, ISO 12100 requires three more measures to reduce the risks involved. These include:
· · Inherent Safe Design: In some applications this can be achieved by using a fixed opening to reduce the speed of a cylinder.
· · Technical protective measures: Protective devices, protective covers, access systems, etc. are examples of such measures.
· · User information and training: Safety training, hazard symbols, and instructions for use are examples of this.
3. The control system as part of risk reduction: When design-related solutions are insufficient, ISO 12100 requires the use of protective devices. The performance requirements for pneumatic, mechanical, hydraulic and electronic components all fall under ISO 13849.
4th Specifications of the machine's safety functions: Such functions must be specified. This includes defining actual safety functions such as safe positioning, safe venting, and preventing an unexpected start. In the event of an error, reaction measures should be specified. The performance level (PL) requirement should be further mapped using risk diagrams.
5. Determination of the achieved PL: The evaluation of a safety system requires a PL and is determined by various factors. This includes systematic failures, safety-related software and the reaction of safety functions under error conditions, etc.
Security solutions for peace of mind
Once a customer has analyzed and achieved the required level of safety performance, there are numerous SMC components to choose from to complement any process. The EX245 series from SMC offers both safe inputs and outputs. This is a fully certified PROFIsafe product. It offers integrated cabling for each power zone.
The EX245-FPS # -X35 is a fully certified PROFIsafe product for use in safety applications. The quick start, lightweight design, and energy saving features make this solution a safe and attractive option.
The comprehensive diagnostic system makes it easier to identify and correct errors. An important point to note is that the same mechanical footprint is used as the existing EX245 PROFINET product line. It is also compatible with other EX245 modules and can be used as a very flexible valve manifold.
In addition, SMC offers various other components to help customers develop a secure system. These not only comply with regulations, but also play a key role in ensuring a safe work environment. For example, SMC's SY valves can be made safe if they are designed in conjunction with the correct safety components. These offer flexibility in control systems and include various functions that can be included in safety systems – such as: B. the coil monitoring.
Talk to our team about products that meet your security needs. SMC uses a combination of products such as monitored drain valves, SY series valves, pressure switches and many other components that are required to support your safety system.
SMC has the products and will continue to help our customers achieve their safety goals.
About SMC
SMC was founded 60 years ago and operates in 83 countries. The company employs 19,000 people worldwide. The company has a research and development team of 1,450 and 8,200 salespeople who are experts in their fields and work closely with SMC's customers. In order to provide automation solutions for its diverse customer base, SMC offers more than 12,000 basic products with over 700,000 variations. SMC is the world's leading pneumatics supplier and has been voted one of the world's most innovative companies by leading business magazine Forbes for three consecutive years. It is listed in FORBES Global 2000 as one of the world's largest listed companies.
Website: smcanz.com
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For editorial inquiries please contact: Rene Rose rrose@positiv.co.com or M +61 474 476344.
