April 5, 2013 - A press or a machine press is a tool used to work metal (typically steel) by changing its shape and internal structure. For this it normally has a moving section with a cyclic behavior. With the usage of presses on the factory floor, the safety of the operating personnel is very important. For this reason PLCopen together with its members worked on a safety specification, specific for the application of presses. In this way the implementation of the safety functionality is harmonized across the different implementations, easing the work the machine builder has to do, while reducing the certification and training efforts.
The document contains a general overview of the implementation of safety around presses, coupled to twelve function blocks. Due to the wide application area of presses, the function blocks include the use of electrical motors and valves control for hydraulics. The set of function blocks include functionalities like Foot Switch, Two Hand Multi Operator, Two Hand Control TypeIIIC, Press Control and Cycle Control, as well as Single Valve Monitoring, Single Valve Cycle Monitoring, Double Valve Monitoring, Directional Valve Monitoring, Valve Group Control, Camshaft Monitor and Cam Monitoring This new specification is an addition to the existing safety standard as provided by PLCopen.
At the end of 2012 it was made available on the PLCopen website as version 0.99 - Release for Comments, to generate feedback from the potential users. The final version of the PLCopen Safety Part 4 specification will be released as version 2.0 later this month and will be available for download on our website.
About PLCopen
PLCopen was founded in 1992 as an independent worldwide association for industrial suppliers and users. It is the leading association resolving topics related to industrial control programming. PLCopen creates concepts to reduce the costs of industrial automation. These cost savings are realized in areas such as engineering, training, operation and maintenance. Together with its members, PLCopen creates specifications to materialize these concepts.
