Overview
Safety in Automation
Safety has become an integral part of Automation Systems.There is hardly any machine or piece of equipment anymore which does not feature some sort emergency stop or other means of safety device.
If you would like to find out more about some important F-Devices and typical PROFIsafe applications, please follow this link.
PROFIsafe fulfills the relevant requirements
The IEC 61508-compliant technology has been developed under PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) and is worldwide established. PROFIsafe has become an international standard (IEC 61784-3-3) and has been evaluated positively by German notified bodies such as IFA and TÜV.
PROFIsafe is independent of the communication method and provides cost-effective and flexible functional safety. It covers the entire communication path from the sensor over the controller to the actuator and integrates safety and standard communication on one cable (black channel principle).
The proven and acknowledged PROFIsafe technology has been adapted further, and is being utilized for the safe communication between controllers described in the OPC UA Core specification Part 15.
You want to find out more about OPC UA Safety? Then, please click here.
PROFIsafe is an integrated safety technology
...for all sectors of discrete manufacturing and process automation. Examples are:
- Maximum safety for press applications
- Flexible integration of all types of safety components in the various industry’s
- Wireless safety-related transmission for use of driverless transport systems, automated guided vehicle (AGV), cranes, ropeways, amusement rides etc.
- Flexible production in the automotive industry such as for different bodies on one assembly line
- Quick adaption of existing Applications by simply integrating F-Devices into the infrastructure
- Highly integrated safety applications in the process industry like Emergency ShutDown Systems (ESD), Burner Management Systems (BMS) and Fire&Gas Systems
For details please see also the selection of case studies (Filter: PROFIsafe).
PROFIsafe provides overall benefits for all industry sectors
- Compliance with the most stringent safety requirements (up to SIL 3 (Safety Integrity Level ) in accordance with IEC 61508, IEC 61511 and IEC 62061, also up to PL e (Performance Level) and category 4 in accordance with ISO 13849)
- Integrated configuration and improved diagnostics
- Reduction in wiring effort
- Flexible automation
- Integration of a wide variety of safety devices such as controllers, sensors and actuators
In addition to the industrial sectors listed, PROFIsafe applications are also found in the packaging, transport, wood processing and process industries, for example.
Numerous manufacturers
...of safety devices have participated in the creation of vendor-neutral and open standards under the framework of PI. This enables the development of an extensive and complete portfolio by many different providers – ranging from sensors to controllers to actuators:
- Safety control systems
- Remote I/O (in IP20, IP67)
- Safety gateways (e.g., AS-i Safety at Work)
- Safety sensors (e.g., light arrays, laser scanners, rotary encoders)
- Drives with integrated safety sub-functions
- Valves and valve blocks with safety functions
- Devices for process automation (e.g., level monitors, pressure transmitters)
- Mobile operator control and monitoring with safety functionality
- Industrial robots
PROFIsafe - the leading technology
With its numerous installations, PROFIsafe has posted striking evidence of its leading role in fieldbus-based safe communication systems. At present there are 6.95 million PROFIsafe nodes installed.
PROFIsafe is suitable for various Fieldbus networks
...without impacts on these existing fieldbus standards. It is possible to transmit safety messages on the existing standard bus cables in coexistence with the standard messages.