Control systems must be protected against fluctuations and power loss, whether electrical or fluidic. Fluctuations and losses are well defined in IEC, IEEE and ISO standards. Careful design of electrical systems, including the use of UPSs for electrical control systems and the careful design of pneumatic supply systems, including the proper sizing of pneumatic accumulators for compressed air-powered logic, is essential.
Understanding safety functions: Safety-related parameters
Safety-related parameters are control system variables whose incorrect setting immediately increases the risk to the user. Some of the most common include safe-reduced speed and safe standstill, but temperature, pressure and other process parameters can also be safety-related. Defining what machine parameters are safety-related and then designing control hardware and software to meet the functional…
Read MoreUnderstanding safety functions: Local control
The local control function is important to understand when designing machinery control systems. If the failure of the local control function could lead to increased risk to the user, it is a safety function. This article explains the local control function from a functional safety perspective.
Read MoreUnderstanding Safety Functions: the start/restart function
After the safety-related stopping and the reset functions, the start/restart function is the next most common. Without a start/restart function, there is no way to make the machine do what it’s supposed to do. If you’re designing a machine control system, you need to understand this function.
Read MoreQ & A: Category 2 and Testing Intervals
During the Free Safety Talks with Schmersal Canada and Franklin Empire, we had a “hot question” regarding Category 2 architecture and the testing interval requirement. Category 2 in [1, 6.2.5] does not mention a minimum testing rate, but [1, 4.5.4], “Simplified procedure for estimating the quantifiable aspects of PL,” adds a requirement for test rate…
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