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FEATURE MACHINE BUILDING, FRAMEWORKS & SAFETY


sponsored by NAVIGATING THE FUNCTIONAL SAFETY MAZE


With the wide range of functional safety standards creating a complex regulation landscape, Stewart Robinson MIET MInstMC, principal engineer and


functional safety expert at TÜV SÜD, explains why getting expert help is the way forward


engineers and technicians, innovative and cutting-edge technology, and professional project managers who work together to achieve the best possible results for your project.


CAPABILITIES


It may sound obvious, but it’s imperative to find out whether the functional safety certifying organisation will be able to provide you with all the services you need for your product development programme. What’s critical here is not to accept things at face value. Confirm what activities are included in each


service to make sure both parties are on the same page. Also, you might like to consider whether all activities and services are provided directly by the provider’s employees, or via sub-contractors. Having all the testing and certification services ‘under one roof’ has the significant advantage of helping reduce timelines by ensuring technical rigour and enabling more efficient project management.


I


n the machine industry, advancing automation has seen the significance of functional safety increase continuously. Functional safety


ensures that a system can operate safely without causing harm to people, property or the environment. It involves implementing safety measures and strategies to detect and mitigate potential hazards or failures within the system. With the increasing connectivity of systems and plants, plus the growing possibilities of remote control, damage events have become more likely and safety-related parts of control systems more complex. Functional safety is therefore increasingly important, with standards covering the safety related parts of control systems within a machine. For example, ISO 13849 applies to parts


of machinery control systems that are assigned to providing safety functions. It provides safety requirements and guidance on the principles of design, and the integration of safety-related parts of control systems (hardware or software). Ultimately it is organisations and people that


are responsible for realising functionally safe products and systems. While the focus of interest has always been the safety of operating and maintenance staff, the other goal is to minimise the costs of operation and servicing or maintenance. Effective functional safety management is therefore vital. This includes the definition of the roles and tasks of the individuals involved, proof of their competence, and the qualification measures necessary to


ensure up-to-date knowledge in this sector. However, the wide range of functional safety


standards creates a complex regulation landscape, sometimes making it difficult to find the appropriate product or system-related standard. Therefore it often makes sense to get external expert help, but what aspects should you evaluate when making this important decision?


QUALITY Quality, undoubtedly, should be one of the key aspects to consider when comparing certification providers. Working with an organisation that has an established and transparent culture of quality, where processes are constantly reviewed and improved, and which continuously strives to be the best, will provide you with a foundation for success. Find out about the organisation’s track record – a consistency of successful projects is a good signpost that future projects will be successful too. You may also want to look online for the certifier’s current certificates.


EXPERIENCE You will want to select a functional safety provider with experience and expertise in your product or industry. This is particularly important if you are looking for a provider that can provide solutions to problems in real-time. Ideally, there will be a mix of experienced


16 DESIGN SOLUTIONS SEPTEMBER 2024


COMMUNICATION Moving beyond the more technical criteria, communication is a crucial factor when selecting a testing and certification provider. A healthy relationship between the client and provider is pivotal for the successful completion of your functional safety testing program to time and budget. Ultimately the provider you select will be an extension of your team, so you need to be confident that you can work together as such.


TIMELINESS When evaluating functional safety testing and certification providers for their ability to deliver against timelines, look for a proven track record of meeting milestones and project completion. If you are considering an integrated product approach with one organisation, look to evaluate the experience and expertise of the project manager who will run your programme, as their role will be pivotal. Ideally, the TIC (testing, inspection, certification) organisation should be able to provide real-life examples and case studies of successful programmes they have completed. It is clear that a holistic approach to functional


safety is therefore needed, which requires expertise in various application fields across all project phases, from design and development to manufacturing and installation, testing, certification, placing into service, and decommissioning. Given this complexity, TIC organisations need to provide holistic services, which offer system owners and manufacturers one-stop multi- disciplinary support.


Stewart Robinson


TÜV SÜD www.tuvsud.com/uk


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