Product category:
Machine Safety Components
News Release from: Jokab Safety UK | Subject: Vital Solution
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 16 April 2008
Refurbished cells offer improved safety
Syscom UK decided to use the Vital Solution from Jokab Safety as it met the Category 4 requirements and provided the ability to connect all the devices to one safety monitoring unit.
In 2003 GPS acquired two manufacturing cells that needed to be refurbished and brought up to the current safety requirements Syscom UK was brought in to evaluate the machine guarding and where it was needed, to increase the safety integrity
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 27 Jul 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Cost effective solution for machine safety
The Vital solution from Jokab Safety is a cost effective way to interconnect many types of safety devices on the same safety circuit and still achieve category 4 according to EN954-1.
Dedicated PLC offers flexibility in safety
The Pluto safety PLC from Jokab Safety offer more flexibility to machine builders when designing safety systems.
When designing and building machinery, one has to consider the risk factor when operators are working with the machine.
This is initially started by creating a risk assessment.
The risk assessment allows the manufacturer of the machine to consider all the possible risks and dangerous areas in the machine.
Further reading
Flexible application for light curtains and grids
The new Focus range of light curtains and grids have the flexibility for a wide range of applications.
Innovative approach to two hand control systems
Safeball is an ergonomic switch that does not require the pushing or pressing action of normal start systems.
Once these have been identified, the machine builder then can develop the safety system to meet the requirements put down in the standards.
There are four categories which are used to identify the reliability of the safety system.
These are called simply 1, 2, 3 and 4, depending of the type of injury, exposure to the hazard and the possibility of avoiding the hazard.
One can use these parameters to work out which category level the machine needs to comply to.
Category 4 is seen to be at the highest level one can adapt to for machine safety.
Recently there have been changes to the standards the way components and systems are created.
The new SIL levels, means that GPS has to consider the level of reliability, predictability and traceability of all components used within the safety system which is related to the failure time consequence.
At GPS UK the cells had a variety of possible dangers from Category 2 to 4.
It was decided that the manufacturing cells needed to be brought up to Category 4, SIL3 as it was simpler to keep the safety levels the same to prevent any unnecessary complex interlocking within the safety system.
The cells consisted of a gantry robot and an injection moulding machine together with other automated processes.
The focus was to prevent operators accessing the manufacturing cell during production and to allow a full integration of all the safety devices from different areas of the cell.
Syscom UK decided to use the Vital Solution from Jokab Safety as it met the Category 4 requirements and provided the ability to connect all the devices to one safety monitoring unit.
The safety system consisted of emergency stop buttons and Jokab's JSNY9 door interlock switches.
These devices have Tina 3A interfaces, which monitor the two normally closed contacts and change the signal to the Vital unit if the safety devices are operated.
A Spot 10 safety light beam was also used in the safety circuit to monitor the gantry robot position.
• Jokab Safety UK: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Engineeringtalk email newsletter
• Engineeringtalk Home Page
