Don’t run from machine safety. Embrace it! - Electrical Engineering Resource

Industrial accidents can be very costly. Thankfully, advancements in machine safety technologies are making it easier than ever for OEMs to implement machine safety solutions that protect their customers’ greatest asset, their workers.

Safety remains a top priority for companies. Their most important asset, their workers, must be protected from physical hazards created by moving parts of the machinery. Individuals who might not work with the equipment but could come near it must also be protected. This includes visitors to the facilities, vendors, inspectors, management, and more. The costs of doing nothing – injuries or fatalities leading to lost work hours, factory downtime, regulatory fines, and substantial lawsuits – are too great to ignore.

Safety by design

OEMs know the equipment they sell better than their customers, so end users expect OEMs to integrate safety into the machines they supply. Considering machine safety during the initial design phase leads to safer designs. To do this effectively, designers need to consider how these machines are used. This includes how implementers, operators, and maintenance personnel interface with the equipment – both when they are following manufacturers’ guidance and when they’re not. It also includes how people in the industrial environment might encounter the equipment even when they aren’t supposed to be anywhere near it – think about the custodian or visitor who inadvertently steps over the safety lines painted on the floor.

To function, safety solutions require three types of components. Inputs, like Sense non-contact switches, react to what is happening. Logic components, such as Sentry safety relays, determine what to do based on the inputs. Outputs, such as AFS contactors, are necessary to carry out the action, such as shutting down the motor.

OEMs should also look at their input devices as primary and secondary safety devices. Primary safety includes those devices that put safety as close to “autopilot” as possible. This includes devices like light curtains or gate switches that prevent anyone, authorized or otherwise, from interacting with the equipment in a dangerous manner. Secondary devices like emergency stops require human interaction. Typically, these are only used to stop a machine from functioning to prevent an accident or reduce its consequences. This could include damage to the machine and/or personnel.

Scenario-specific safety components

OEMs understand how their machines work and the hazards that they may present. This allows them to select the right components for specific scenarios and challenges. Maintaining cycle times is critical to meeting the manufacturer’s customer commitments. So, while safety is critical to minimizing injury and maximizing uptime, they also want machine safety solutions that don’t impact productivity.

Machine doors and hatches are a traditional approach to safety, but they can also cause issues that impact productivity, uptime, and safety as well. Large or heavy doors can sag over time. Heavy vibrations can also knock a door out of alignment. Non-contact safety sensors can be used to mitigate issues with misalignment and overcome the common issues of standard door safety switches, such as a key breaking off or head falling off creating an unsafe condition.

Furthermore, process locks like the Magne OSSD can be used to hold a door closed while a machine process is underway, both safely interlocking the door and decreasing unnecessary stops. These types of process locks increase machine efficiency to keep production runs on schedule. They are particularly useful in industries where unplanned stoppages could lead to a scrapped product.

Conversely, instead of using a physical door with an interlock, OEMs might choose to implement a light curtain for parts of the machine that need to be accessed frequently to decrease cycle times. These light curtains can also be scenario specific. When machine safety hazards are near workers, a tighter resolution light curtain like the Orion 1B/E, can be used detect a finger or hand. When hazards are further away and a larger safety perimeter is required, a light grid like the Orion 2B/E can be used for full body detection.

Status indication and a logical and reliable control interface is important in your machine designs as it also promotes safety. Status indicators, including pilot lights and illuminated pushbuttons, allow personnel to easily evaluate the machine’s state so they can follow defined safety best practices when working with or maintaining the equipment. Control interface devices such as pushbuttons, emergency stops, selectors switches, alarms, etc., allow for functional control and assessment of machinery and processes. Also, in the event of a stoppage, such industry standards call for a deliberate action to be taken to reset the system. In these cases, reset pushbuttons help adhere to this requirement. Ensuring these devices provide reliable control and meet industry standards, like ABB’s range of 22mm and 30mm pilot devices, maintains maximum equipment uptime while complementing critical safety devices.

Finally, since machine safety devices run on electricity, they need to be reliably powered by components designed to withstand the environment and the industrial processes they feed. ABB CP-S.1 power supplies are engineered to ensure consistent operation, even under harsh conditions or the heavy use that is typical of many industrial environments. Designed with integrated 150% power reserve, overheat protection, and active power factor correction, ABB power supplies provide control power to downstream safety devices.

Reaching the highest levels of safety through technology

Performance Level e (PLe) and Safety Integrity Level 3 (SIL 3) are measures of the reliability of safety functions within control systems. OEMs can set themselves apart from the competition by providing solutions that meet these safety levels. For example, non-contact safety sensors, like Eden OSSD, provide the highest level of safety even with devices in series. They also overcome common mechanical failures of traditional gate switches that can occur.

For OEMS that want to speed up their installation of machine safety solutions, MKEY RFID safety locks provide quick connect installation and optional rear release for safer, faster installation. MKEY RFID safety locks can also be customized with additional options to meet specific safety requirements.

OEMs can also set themselves apart from the competition by designing systems that make machine maintenance faster, easier, and safer for their customers. Information outputs, like error codes, speed up troubleshooting. Components like EDEN DYN allow users to monitor the status of the safety system by providing auxiliary information lines and diagnostics. The MKEY RFID safety locks mentioned above also provide extensive LED and status information for faster troubleshooting and maintenance.

Advanced safety systems can get complicated, especially when multiple safety relays and safety devices are used. Sentry safety relays can be used with most safety devices and come with a front-facing display to facilitate configuration and error tracing. The use of a programmable safety controller reduces the need for multiple safety relays. This consolidation can significantly minimize the complexity of the wiring required by allowing for the creation of safety logic through software instead of physical wiring.

Increasing competitiveness with machine safety solutions

Again, safety matters for industrial customers. If anything, business leaders and their workers are getting even more safety conscious. Safety standards are the “blueprint” they use to create the safest work environment possible for their most important asset. OEMs can create a competitive advantage by offering machine safety solutions that adhere to the highest standards possible.

See related blog post “Safety by design in 3 easy steps“.