March 10, 2011 - BVM Brunner GmbH & Co. KG is a manufacturer of film wrapping packaging machines. Having taken an early decision to comply with EN ISO 13849-1, BVM Brunner carried out renewed machine risk assessments in order to update the safety concepts on its machines. Following this, the company decided to implement a new safety design for one of its machines, which incorporated safety solutions from Pilz. BVM Brunner’s latest machine, the Compacta Genius Servo, is a fully automated machine with a continuous motion, cross-sealing jaw.
A safety solution was required for this machine, which would not only safeguard the operator, but also complement the flexibility and easy handling required for processing a variety of products for different customers. The Pilz Safety Calculator, PAScal, was used to determine the required PL and SIL (Safety Integrity Level) of the safety functions according to EN ISO 13849-1. The PL and SIL requirements, together with the handling requirements, were then matched with the Pilz product range within the PAScal Calculator library. The new compact configurable safety relay, PNOZmulti Mini, was selected to monitor safety functions.
The 45mm wide multi Mini with its 20 safe inputs and 4 safe semiconductor outputs (to SIL 3, PL e) covered all safety functions of the machine, including E-Stop, Light Barriers and Safety Gates. The PC-based drag-and-drop PNOZmulti Configurator also minimised initial set up and enabled individual configuration for different customers and products. The mechanical safety gate switches were replaced with low maintenance, non-contact magnetic safety switches, PSENmag, which offered high tolerances for set up and switching distance, a clearly visible status indicator and reduced engineering time due to plug in cables.
