COMMUNICATIONS & NETWORKING FEATURE USING SAFETY DATA TO BOOST PRODUCTIVITY


Rockwell Automation says a prerequisite for effective smart safety solutions is open, standard communication such as that provided by Ethernet/IP together with CIP Safety and CIP Motion extensions


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long with the protection of staff and the environment, smart safety


precepts can deliver multiple benefits to manufacturing companies. When safety devices and mechanisms are interconnected throughout the plant floor, companies can more easily achieve safety compliance while increasing productivity, performance and profitability. Today, it is much easier to have access to real-time data provided by safety systems, through open, standardised networks which provide connectivity between safety and other systems. Smart capabilities enable end users to


increase production efficiency, improve product quality and make operations more responsive. As a result, machine stoppages and shutdowns are less frequent. If a stoppage does occur, operators can locate the problem easily. The prerequisites for these benefits


include tight integration between machine controllers, safety and motion systems and company networks. This is what Rockwell Automation refers to as Integrated Architecture, a backbone for data collection and sharing that interconnects the plant floor systems with each other as well as with the rest of the company’s IT systems. Data capture in traditional safety systems used to require complex wiring, especially for standalone systems. Smart safety precepts can now deliver accurate data automatically and in real time, overcoming any compliance challenges. In addition, the integration of smart safety functionality into existing components like controllers and drives enable a simplified wiring structure. The diagnostic data is also of a higher quality, and can be sent to the design environment, visualisation system, information software, and safety controllers, such as the Rockwell Automation GuardLogix programmable automation controller (PAC). However, data delivery is clearly only a


part of the equation. What manufacturers need is the ability to analyse safety data in real time and use the results to optimise production. For example, they can combine safety and production data to gain more visibility into the frequency, duration, time and location of safety- related shutdowns. Operators can keep track of safety equipment and view guard positions and lock status, as the data is


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sent via EtherNet/IP to their tablet or other device. With safety management over EtherNet/IP, they can also request access to the problem area and intervene immediately. In addition, the historical safety data can be used as a basis for predictive maintenance schedules, which can be based on device use or age. With smart safety, data can be captured for each device individually, giving users better insight into their safety operations while improving auditing and compliance reporting procedures. They can also use historical safety data to find out where application adjustments need to be made. Data sharing is at the heart of an


effective safety management and compliance infrastructure and should be open, standards-based and unmodified. Rockwell Automation solutions are all based on the standard Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) with the CIP Motion and CIP Safety extensions, which add application layer functionality to it (Figure 1). These make it possible for companies to mix safety devices and standard devices on the same network, providing seamless integration and more flexibility. In the same way, safety system providers


also use the CIP Motion extension for safety monitoring in motion control applications. CIP Motion combines the requirements of deterministic, real-time, closed loop motion control with standard, unmodified Ethernet. For end customers as well as machine builders, the combination of EtherNet/IP with CIP Motion provides a common application interface and services for general purpose and motion control applications using the same profile. In summary, there is no longer any need for separate motion


Figure 1: Rockwell Automation solutions are all based on the standard Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) with the CIP Motion and CIP Safety extensions, which add application layer functionality and make it possible for safety devices and standard devices to be mixed on the same network


control and safety networks because EtherNet/IP, plus the two CIP Safety and CIP Motion extensions, all run on the same standardised Ethernet network. Smart safety initiatives also require a


high degree of integration in order to minimise the need for separate safety system wiring and potential points of failure (Figure 2). A motion and safety system can be


configured so that a safety function operates in the Logix controller. This type of configuration is referred to as a controller-based safety function. The system can also be configured so that the safety function operates in the drive module with the initiation and monitoring of the function in the safety task. This type of safety function is referred to as drive-based safety. A motion system can have both controller-based and drive- based safety functions. These smart solutions increase flexibility


Figure 2: Smart safety initiatives require a high degree of integration in order to minimise the need for separate safety system wiring and potential points of failure


and scalability for operators, since configurations can be adapted from axis to axis or motor and are freely selectable. The integrated safety to PLd/PLe level enables users to dynamically change the safety zoning and configurations without needing to physically rewire the devices. This helps reduce commissioning and changeover time. An example from the Rockwell


Automation safety portfolio is the Allen- Bradley GuardLogix controller that integrates safety, standard and motion control in a single package and uses CIP safety protocols for connectivity. For applications requiring safe motion monitoring, the Kinetix 5700 servo drive series provides safety position and safe speed information over the EtherNet/IP network.


Rockwell Automation www.rockwellautomation.com


PROCESS & CONTROL | NOVEMBER 2018 27


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