Conference paper highlights safety data sharing

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team May 24, 2006

Paper jointly delivered by two Expert Alliance members at Profibus conference to show how data from AS-i functional safety system can be shared with higher level Profisafe networks based on Profibus.

The UK Expert Alliance is to unveil a way of connecting functional safety hierarchies at the forthcoming Profibus International Conference at Coombe Abbey on 27th and 28th June.

A paper jointly delivered by two Expert Alliance members on day two will show how data from an AS-i functional safety system can be shared with higher level Profisafe networks based on Profibus.

Paul Hingley from safety vendor Siemens Automation and Drives and Ken Davies of safety integrator Functional Safety Engineering will jointly deliver a presentation entitled "Achieving Functional Safety by combining ASi-Safe and Profisafe".

The paper will describe how newly available products enable the sharing of safety data between ASi-Safe and Profisafe networks.

The concept links AS-interface functional safety systems based on low level on-off sensors such as emergency stops and proximity sensors with higher level devices running on Profibus to allow safety functionality to be extended across wider areas of the plant.

This enables broader-based safety zoning and inter-cell co-ordination to achieve more effective functional safety plant-wide, especially in large production lines.

The problems of integrating two levels of safety data will be covered.

Geoff Hodgkinson, Chairman of the Expert Alliance, said: "This development highlights the excellent partnership potential of AS-interface and Profibus in modern automation".

"No other Fieldbus collaboration is as effective".

"Not only can both offer control and safety together but now they can collaborate too".

"This achieves wider-area safety and extends the scope of safety systems to meet growing demands for closer linking of control and functional safety in large plants such as in automotive manufacturing".

Hodgkinson will chair the afternoon conference session on day two, which includes other safety-related papers.

On show at the table-top exhibition running alongside the conference will be at least two working AS-I systems, one demonstrating the benefits of AS-i in pneumatics and the other, a conveyor system, showing how devices from multiple vendors can interoperate on a single AS-i network.

AS-i SW, a way to connect panel switches and indicators to an AS-I network, will also be demonstrated.

Members of the UK Expert Alliance are Belcom, Burkert Fluid Control, Bihl + Wiedemann, Controlled Lubrication, LCA/Functional Safety Engineering, Idec Electronics, IMI Norgren, Johnson Mathey, Kinetrol, Kuhnke UK, Manchester Metropolitan University, Siemens A and D, Sigmapi Systems, Tyco International and Wago.

The Expert Alliance exists to support and promote the use of the AS-interface networking in process automation and discrete manufacturing environments.

The safety at work profile allows functional safety to be included on the same network cable as used by control and monitoring systems.