Machine Safety
From risk assessment to the safety circuit, we build architectures that protect the operator without stopping production.
Safety projects and risk reduction
- Safety function list
- Circuit diagram
- Test record
- Periodic inspection plan
A safety project is not a product but a chain: sensing, evaluation and safe stopping. Once hazard sources are identified, the required performance level is defined; the safety relay or safety PLC, light curtain, door switch and emergency stop architecture follow from it. After commissioning we run functional tests and leave a periodic inspection plan.
Scope
- Hazard and risk analysis
- Definition of safety functions
- Component selection
- Safety circuit implementation
- Functional testing
Deliverables
- Safety function list
- Circuit diagram
- Test record
- Periodic inspection plan
Does this apply to you?
If even one of these sounds familiar, it is worth a conversation. In the survey we first measure the current state together.
- Emergency stops and guards were retrofitted and never documented.
- Operators bypass the guard door to keep working.
- An audit asks for safety function test records and there are none.
- A new robot or automated cell is about to be commissioned.
How we run this kind of project
- 01
Hazard and risk analysis
Hazard sources on the machine are listed, and severity of injury, frequency of exposure and possibility of avoidance are assessed.
- 02
Defining the safety functions
For each hazard, a safety function and its required performance level are written down. Component selection comes after this definition.
- 03
Architecture and component selection
Depending on the number of functions and the required level, a safety relay or safety PLC is chosen, and the light curtain, door switch and emergency stop architecture is defined.
- 04
Implementation and safe stopping
The circuit is built; on machines with drives, safe torque off (STO) shortens restart time and preserves contactor life.
- 05
Functional testing and documentation
Every safety function is exercised individually and recorded. A periodic inspection plan is handed over — this is the record an auditor asks for.
We measure what changed when the project ends
- Documented safety
- A function list, circuit diagram and test record are handed over ready for audit.
- Production continuity
- Zone stopping and STO let protection work without halting the whole line.
- The urge to bypass
- An ergonomic architecture removes the operator's incentive to defeat the guard.
Frequently asked about Machine Safety
Can older machines be covered too?
Yes. For existing machines we start with an inventory and risk assessment, then produce a prioritised improvement plan. The whole fleet does not have to be upgraded at once.
Safety relay or safety PLC?
With few functions and fixed logic, a relay is enough. Multi-zone cells, conditional functions such as muting or speed monitoring, and reporting to SCADA point to a safety PLC.
How often should periodic checks be done?
The interval is set in the risk assessment and depends on how intensively the machine is used. Emergency stops and door switches should be physically exercised regularly and the result recorded.
Other engineering areas
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