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MACHINE BUILDING, FRAMEWORKS & SAFETY FEATURE SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING


environment, most companies prioritise having cash available, so they can act nimbly in response to changing or developing market opportunities. Financing tools help machinery and equipment vendors sell their more sustainable solutions by making it easy for the manufacturer to invest through monthly payments. This is usually available from specialist financiers who have a deep understanding of the underlying


(where water is a key raw material) and semiconductor manufacturing machines (which use a great deal of water for cooling).


BARRIERS TO SUSTAINABILITY INVESTMENT Although manufacturers recognise the need to invest in sustainability, and machine builders are developing more sustainable equipment, investment challenges persist. Globally, economic and manufacturing outlook is quiet, despite the occasional positive uplift. Inflation has pushed up input prices for manufacturing, putting further pressure on manufacturing margins. In this


technology and its commercial and sustainability enabling benefits in the field. Key financing categories include:


• Integrated Finance: Spreads costs over several years, aligning payments with cash flow, while vendors are paid immediately. It operates separately from existing bank credit lines and covers total ownership costs through subscription models. • Flexible Structures: Financing specialists adjust terms to make options affordable, offering low-start or deferred payments aligned with operational benefits. Emerging models include managed services and ‘as-a-service’ options


tied to outcomes like uptime or output. • Retrofit Finance: Covers the modernisation of existing machinery, reducing costs and carbon footprints. It requires financiers with expertise in retrofitting to structure deals and assess risks effectively. • Pay Later: Benefits machine builders by allowing them to delay payment for components for up to six months, aligning with machine order and delivery timelines to better manage cash flow.


PRIORITISING SUSTAINABILITY IN MACHINE BUILDING By examining the degree to which each of these areas of sustainability gain are being featured and promoted by machine builders around the world, a clear priority order emerges. Energy efficiency and productivity gains from digitalisation are the most widely applicable across industry sectors, whereas areas such as water efficiency or recycled raw materials are not always so widely relevant. It is clear from this research that almost all


production machine builders are emphasising some form of sustainability enablement for their machines. Yet challenging economic circumstances mean pressure to transform to more sustainable manufacturing can only be optimised and accelerated when technology is combined with specialist financing tools that make the conversion affordable and cash-flow friendly.


Siemens Financial Services UK www.siemens.com/uk


NEW MUTING MODULE ENHANCES SAFETY AND PRODUCTIVITY


SICK Sensor Intelligence has unveiled the compact DMM4 muting module, a highly reliable, flexible and configurable solution to delivering enhanced industrial safety without compromising productivity. The DMM4 makes sure operators stay protected from hazardous machinery while materials, boxes and finished products move through smoothly. This robust muting module is designed to perform in the field and can be easily integrated with all SICK deTec safety light curtains and deTem safety light-beam sensors to minimise the possibility of manipulation, while keeping workflows uninterrupted. Of benefit, it doesn’t require a separate cabinet as it is equipped with protection against dust and water in the field, reducing wiring and commissioning time. The DMM4 is an innovation in entry/exit access guarding, equipped with a


host of new tools, features and benefits to minimise false stops, the company explains. A dedicated muting module with a high IP rating, it can be used in safety function up to PLe (ISO 13849)/SIL3 (IEC 62061) and fully supports compliance with ISO 13855, the standard covering the requirements of positioning safeguards with respect to the approach of the human body. The DMM4 is a more powerful, slimmer extension module than previous versions, and SICK has released robust new support columns with micro adjustment capabilities and a built-in spirit level to complement it. According to the company, the DMM4 provides more features than basic muting options and better flexibility at a lower cost than muting using a safety PLC or safety controller. The free and intuitive SICK Safety Designer software enables easy and flexible configuration of muting parameters, smart functions and operating mode, with key features including mode switch to store different configurations, smart restart interlock, and access to a full diagnostics and error history. Applications for the DMM4 muting module range from logistics (e.g.


muting for AGVs, electric forklifts or AMRs), to manufacturing (from large automotive parts to small consumer goods, food & beverage, and pharma).


Muting – or the temporary


automatic suspension of a safety function by way of safety-related parts of the control system – aims to achieve continuous, efficient material flows, while protecting people from hazards. In the case of a safety light curtain, sensors and process signals can safely identify materials to initiate a mute and allow the product to pass through without stopping the system. The DMM4 muting module meets industry standards for safe material flow through electro-sensitive protective equipment (ESPE), accurately and reliably differentiating between material and a person to provide safe conditions. The most common configurations of photoelectric muting sensors are T and L layouts, with two or four beams either in parallel or arranged as cross beams, and control by way of timing or sequence. Photoelectric muting can take a variety of different forms depending on the application, the level of safety required and the size of the opening being protected.


SICK sick.com MARCH 2025 DESIGN SOLUTIONS 21


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