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Machine Safety Portal: Products, News, Articles, Events & Resources
Machine Safety Products, News, Articles, Events & Resources
Welcome to Automation.com's portal for Machine Safety with valuable information and resources for controls and automation engineers to create safe machines and automation systems, while maintaining optimal machine up time. Machine safety systems include safety light curtains, perimeter guards, interlocks, and other electrical safety components. The fundamental changes in machine safety requirements and methods require engineers to have the latest information on machine safety topics. Subscribe to our e-Newsletter or get the latest information on Machine Safety sent to your desktop as soon as they are published on this page.
Articles
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Robotics safety
- 03/13/10 What’s New in Process Technology, March 2010 Despite breakthrough applications in areas ranging from manufacturing to medicine, robots carry risk. Without the proper precautions in place, a robot experiencing a fault or failure might cause serious injuries to people and damage to capital equipment in or around the work cell. |
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CE is no guarantee
- 03/13/10 Control Engineering Europe, March 2010 By Paul Laidler, Laidler Associates There’s a widespread belief among machine users that when they buy a new machine, all they need to do to meet their obligations under PUWER is to make sure that it bears the CE marking. But it’s not that simple. |
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SafetyBridge Technology
- 03/13/10 Control Engineering Europe, March 2010 By Lutz Rahlves, Phoenix Contact This idea in safety technology uses what looks like standard safety I/O modules distributed across a wide area. But there's a big difference: there's no safety bus or safety PLC to control their operation. |
White Papers
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PROFIsafe: Networked Safety for Process and Factory Automation
By ARC Advisory Group Safety has evolved from being a cost burden to a strategy for improving productivity and reducing downtime. PROFIsafe allows seamless communication of safety data independent of network media. Automation users are now taking advantage of these solutions to unify their network while maintaining conformity with safety standards up to SIL3. |
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Embracing the Benefits of Integrated Safety
By Siemens Thanks to the easing of restrictions that once kept software-based safety systems out of automation, manufacturers now are able to move away from standalone, dedicated equipment to integrated solutions that allow safety functions and automation and control operations to run on the same system. A compelling case exists for letting go of the hardwired equipment that has defined manufacturing safety systems to this point and embracing an integrated approach. |
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Prevent 24 VDC overloads from stopping production
By Kai Bronzel, Siemens Advanced technologies require more intelligent protection. For today’s preferred switched mode power supplies, it means that circuit breakers and fuses are inadequate for protecting individual 24 VDC load circuits. |
Application Stories
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Distillery selects PC system for hazardous areas
- 02/19/10 HazardEX, February 2010 An ATEX-certified PC system from R.Stahl is now in use at Aberdeenshire based Ardmore Distillery. The fully automated control system allows the operators to control all aspects of the distilling process from one central location right next to the spirit safes in the heart of the still-house. |
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The automation of the largest and fastest machine in the world
- 02/16/10 Control Engineering Europe, January 2010 The CERN accelerator and its safety will be controlled and monitored by 130 control systems featuring Simatic S7-300 and S7-400 PLCs and safety controllers from Siemens. |
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Automation, motion control raise production for tea packaging machine
- 12/18/09 Reliable Plant, December 2009 By Bosch Rexroth Teekanne, the market leader for tea in Germany today, fills 10 million tea and herb bags every day. Using Rexroth Indramotion motion control, Sercos III, and Safety on Board, the company can fill and produce bags at a rate of 400 per minute with thread and label, or with an outside paper protection. |
Resources & Literature
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Poll Question - How many different networks do you have in your facility?
How many different communication networks do you have implemented in factories and/or plants? The list of available networks includes, but is not limited to: Foundation Fieldbus, ControlNet, PROFIBUS, Interbus, AS-Interface, CanOpen, CC-Link, PROFINET, HART, Ethernet, EtherCAT, Ethernet Powerlink, SERCOS, Modbus, LonWorks and DeviceNet. |
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Gotcha Stick - Safe Distance Scale for Machine Guarding
Is that Hard-Guard Adequately Protecting your Machine Operators? Based on revised anthropometric data, the "Gotcha Stick" from STI is a three-segment safe distance scale used to verify that openings in machine hard-guards will not allow the point-of-operation to be accessed by the operator. |
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Siemens Automation and Drives Interactive CD Catalog
The interactive catalog of Siemens Automation and Drives Business (CA01) gives you information on more than 80,000 products and systems used for industrial automation and control. |
Training & Seminars
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SolaHD offers Online Learning Module on Power Protection
- 07/13/09
Module provides key points on today's challenging power environment and the damaging effects of transients and noise on electrical equipment. |
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Machine and process safeguarding seminars
- 05/05/09
One-day training seminars by Omron STI help educate plant personnel on the requirements and methods of machine and process safeguarding. |
Product Announcements
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Grace announces R-1A0033W-NPLPH interactive voltage label
- 03/17/10
R-1A0033W-NPLPH provides personnel with the ability to both visualize and verify the state of each electrical energy source feeding the enclosure. |
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WAGO introduces 770 Series WINSTA connectors
- 03/14/10
Connectors are UL recognized 600V devices for disconnection under load, providing a safe means of disconnection for hot-swappable components. |
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Tapeswitch releases long range perimeter guards
- 03/11/10
Perimeter guard provides high resolution (100mm) with a maximum range of 30 meters. |
Company & Organization News
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ISA selects Automation.com as advertising sales partner
In addition to daily and weekly digital and online content, ISA will publish 6 print issues of InTech magazine in 2010. ISA selected Automation.com as the advertising sales representative for InTech magazine’s print, digital, and online editions. |
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BP must fix hazards now
- 03/13/10 HazardEx, March 2010 An OSHA inspection has revealed more than 60 violations of safety practice at the Toledo refinery in Oregon which could cost BP more than $3 million in fines. This latest fine for BP comes just months after regulators imposed a record penalty on the company over its refinery in Texas. |
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Standards Institution of Israel to work with TUV Rheinland
- 03/08/10 TUV Rheinland will test and certify electrical products and components destined for the Israeli. |
Project News
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Cotton ginning firm invests with APAG
- 01/24/10 Process and Control Engineering, January 2010 By Sarah Falson Atlantic Pacific Automation Group (APAG), will upgrade safety and motion control systems at Namoi Cotton Commodities in Australia. Equipment includes Parker Hannifin HMI panels, 30 Parker Variable Speed Drives, a PLC for process control, and Pilz’s PNOZmulti system for safety control of plant and equipment. |
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Emerson to safely automate SABIC Innovative Plastics
- 01/12/10 SABIC Innovative Plastics will migrate all existing PROVOX process control and safety systems to DeltaV digital automation system from Emerson Process Management. |
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HIMA to provide Evonik Degussa with fieldbus safety system
- 03/18/09 HIMA will provide two HIMax CPUs, two system bus modules, two digital output and three input modules, one analog output module and one communications module for PROFIBUS-DP. |
Events
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