Banner Engineering, a provider of technology for industrial automation, has released its SI-RF Series RFID safety switches for monitoring doors, gates, and other moveable machine safeguards.
SI-RF Series safety switches are designed to utilize RFID technology to monitor mechanical guards separating personnel from a hazard. They are made to either be deployed alone to safeguard a single machine access point or in a cascade series to simplify the safeguarding of multiple access points. Cascade models can be connected in a series of up to 32 switches using a standard 4-wire cable, T-adaptors, an end plug, and just two terminals on a safety controller.
Used alone or in a series, SI-RF Series safety switches are meant to achieve Category 4, PL e, or SIL CL 3 safety ratings. Each switch consists of an RFID safety sensor that is designed to detect the presence, absence, or movement of an RFID coded actuator installed on a guard. Outputs on each sensor in a cascade series should be continuously monitored to detect any faults, in order to reduce the possibility of fault masking at any point in the system and to ensure operation at a higher level of safety.
The In-Series Diagnostics (ISD) communication protocol is made to provide performance and status information from each sensor in a cascade series to the PLC and/or HMI. Notification is arranged to be sent for the opening or closing of a door, mismatched or misaligned sensors and actuators, and a range of additional system health attributes.
SI-RF Series RFID safety switches are available in low, high, and specific code models to meet the tamper resistance needs of a wide range of applications. They have made to have a rugged, IP69 construction, a non-contact design with no moving parts, and a very high tolerance to misalignment. The company says they will perform reliably in challenging applications where exposure to high-pressure, high-temperature washdown as well as machine vibration and impact are possible.
