IS & Ex


Safety in the block

May 2016 IS & Ex

Anyone wanting to manufacture machines in Europe has to comply with the requirements of the Machinery Directive and the national regulations derived from it. Other large economic areas such as the USA or China also have similar standards and laws. Russia and Brazil have also followed suit with the relevant regulations. Essentially all of these standards stipulate that persons operating a machine must be protected from any risks arising from it.

In order to comply with these mandatory safety requirements for personnel protection, machine and plant builders find different solutions on the market for safety technology. The solutions available range from several safety sensors to safety relay modules, right through to the complete automation solution with integrated safety controller for fieldbus-based systems and related drive systems with a safety function. Regardless of which of these safety architectures is selected, they all fulfil the same purpose – in an emergency, i.e. in the event of possible danger to persons, who, for example, open a guard door or press an emergency stop button, the safety architecture ensures the shutdown of the machine with maximum reliability.

Few IP67 I/O for safety

Safety technology has also been part of fieldbus technology for several years. Nowadays, each fieldbus protocol integrates a safety option. However, in spite of the several different fieldbus systems (including Ethernet) with a safety option, the large majority of components for the control cabinet are designed for IP20. This means that the customers of many manufacturers have to route all signals of safety-related sensors and actuators into control cabinets or sub distribution units and wire them there to I/O modules. Only a few solutions with IP67/69K protection have up to now been available for Profinet/Profisafe.

However, regardless of the protection type, the reality of machine and system building is only covered in a limited way by the range of safety-related products offered from fieldbus manufacturers. The offering consists mainly of either pure safety I/O modules or standard I/O modules. This is the case even though the planning and installation in the field usually involves a different number of standard and safety signals. Safety signals must be brought to the controller directly next to standard signals. However, until now, there have been no I/O modules to bring both safety and standard signals to the controller. For IP67 wiring in the machine, the user could previously only choose between either pure safety or pure standard modules. There were often too many unused channels left over – on either the standard or the safety I/O modules. The alternatives of a point-to-point wiring or a separate safety controller require extensive cabling.

TBPN-L1-FDIO1 hybrid safety I/O module

Turck has closed this gap with its TBPN-L1-FDIO1 I/O module. The hybrid module combines four safety Profinet/Profisafe channels and four standard I/Os. It offers two safety-related inputs for Profisafe to which two-channel safety components such as mechanical safety switches or also electronic safety sensors with OSSD signals such as light curtains can be connected. Also provided are two universal digital channels for safety-related inputs or outputs.

Flexibility through two IO-Link masters

On the standard side, the new module offers four universal inputs or outputs. Two of them can even be defined alternatively as IO-Link masters, to increase the application range of the modules. Using Turck I/O hubs on both IO-Link masters, users can keep the wiring effort required for additional standard signals down to a minimum. With two I/O hubs up to 32 additional digital signals can be connected via IO-Link. This flexibility of the module simplifies the engineering of machines and minimises the number of unused channels. As more standard I/Os than safety I/Os are required in most cases, the TBPN with its IO-Link option is a clever solution.

Remote logic speeds up the reaction time

The TBPN-L1-FDIO1 does more than only offer highly flexible inputs and outputs for safety and standard signals. With its onboard logic function the hybrid module can operate as a remote compact safety controller at the same time. The user benefits from the shorter reaction time of the overall system and allows for this in machine and plant design. Without the remote logic the triggering signal must first reach the distant safety controller via Profisafe, be processed by it and then sent to the actuators to be controlled. The overall reaction time of the system is thus longer than a local disconnection directly at the device using Turck’s hybrid module. This means, for example, that a shorter gap between a light curtain and a hazardous movement can be designed than with a conventional safety PLC solution.

GSDML file and configuration software

The logic functions and the properties of the safety-related I/Os are defined using Turck’s Safety Configurator for safety channels. This is necessary for every application since different safety components with different behaviours make an individual selection necessary. The Safety Configurator is based on MS Windows and enables rapid configuration of the safety I/Os thanks to its intuitive interface. The standard I/Os are configured using a GSDML file as is customary with all Profinet modules. The web server of the device simplifies its diagnostics and commissioning.

Memory stick saves repeat configurations

To save the customer having to reconfigure modules in the event of a fault, these are fitted with a pluggable memory stick. The Turck Safety Configurator not only saves the set safety properties in the TBPN module but also on the stick. If a replacement is required, you simply pull out the memory stick on the faulty module and fit it in the replacement device. After the power supply is switched on, the configuration data is automatically transferred to the new module and operation can continue safely unchanged.

Safe shutdown and power supply

Three of the four universal channels can be used as switchable standard outputs. The module reliably disconnects the power supply here. This applies also to the power supply for one of the two IO-Link masters. This enables the safety-related shutdown of auxiliary drives, valve blocks or other actuators, which minimises the switching and wiring effort required for the actuators. All outputs switch up to two amperes. They can also be used for actuators such as valve blocks or contactors that require higher currents.

Two safety outputs can be configured via the configuration software as two-channel unipolar (P switching) or bipolar (P/N switching) outputs. This enables mechanical contacts of safety contactors as well as electronic safety signals for drive systems to be switched off safely.

Extended application range: IP69K, PL e, SIL 3

The IP67 Profinet/Profisafe modules are primarily used in the European machine and plant-building sector. Their main use is for paper and wood processing machines as well as for conveying and warehouse technology systems. The modules are also suitable for the automation sector, particularly automotive body construction and robot applications. Thanks to the enhanced temperature range between -40 and 70°C and the protection types IP65, IP67, IP69K, the modules can be used in virtually any application area beyond these sectors. The robust fully potted design and metal plug connectors underline these features.

Flexible with a hybrid module

There is currently no other supplier on the market that offers this level of flexibility with hybrid IP67 safety standard modules. It is also possible to manage using pure standard and pure safety modules in the control cabinet. All signals come together here anyway and can be distributed accordingly. At the machine, however, signals have to be collected where they occur. Previously the user was forced to either use several different modules in the IP67 area, even if only one additional signal was required, or accept the use of long cable runs to a remote module.

The TBPN Profinet/Profisafe module will be available at the beginning of 2016 and will round off Turck’s Ethernet offering of TBEN-L and TBEN-S modules. The Ethernet series then offers standard I/Os, IO-Link master and safety

I/Os. However, as Turck also has a strong presence in the USA, and the globally exporting machine and system sector in Europe requires safety solutions for the US market, a safety I/O module for Ethernet/IP and CIP Safety will follow. CIP Safety is the safety variant of Ethernet/IP, the most commonly used Ethernet protocol in the USA. This CIP Safety hybrid module will have the same specifications as the TBPN apart from the Ethernet protocol. With Profisafe and CIP safety, the automation specialist is covering a large section of the world market for safety automation solutions.

For more information contact Brandon Topham, RET Automation, +27 (0)11 453 2468, brandon.topham@retautomation.com, www.retautomation.com



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