Conventional safeguarding systems emphasized operator safety at the expense of productivity. However, despite the efforts to make equipment “absolutely safe,” operators seeking productivity improvements may override a conventional safety system because they need access into the machine working area. All too often, an accident results.
A more modern, effective safeguarding strategy evaluates how the operator interacts with the machinery. Modern, intelligent safety solutions are usually associated with safety PLCs that replace conventional hard-wired safety relays. However, it is far more important to avoid unintended axis movement and create safe motion that reduces the risk of operator injury by allowing continued but limited axis movement. In addition, the use of freely programmable safety logic greatly increases the flexibility of a safety system.
The Rexroth IndraDrive’s “Safety on Board” feature offers a reliable safety solution that incorporates the most advanced integrated safety functions and complies with the latest international standards for safe stopping and safe motion. These capabilities are available on a common platform that functions as a servo drive or frequency converter, thus lowering the overall cost of integration and deployment for the machine builder while providing the latest safe motion technology to the end user.
Competitive advantages of packaging machine safety
Jun 29, 2008