Integrated safety and motion control

09 June 2010

Two new controllers from Rockwell Automation provide machine builders and manufacturers with integrated safety, motion, discrete and drive control capabilities in a single controller for medium size applications.

Controller integrates safety and motion

“Machine builders, integrators and end users are designing contemporary solutions with an eye toward improving safety, achieving higher levels of performance, and realising better integration,” said Ken Deken vice president of portfolio management at Rockwell Automation.

The Allen-Bradley L43S and L45S Compact GuardLogix programmable automation controllers (PACs) extend capabilities previously available only in the company’s larger ControlLogix platform. These include diagnostics and information capabilities that help reduce nuisance shutdowns and prolonged restarts, as well as a single programming environment for enhanced design and development productivity.

The controllers use the same configuration, networking and visualisation environment as the company’s larger-scale systems. This helps provide machine builders and end users with cost-effective integration of a machine or safety application into the plantwide control system.

“The [launch] opens a new door for many manufacturers with medium size applications who previously did not have the means to implement an integrated architecture solution with embedded safety functionality,” said Deken, “The scalability of the Integrated Architecture system means that manufacturers and machine builders can design their applications to include standard and safety control using a single control engine and a single development environment, regardless of the application size.”

The controllers can control as many as eight axes of integrated motion over the SERCOS communication network and when used in combination with the Allen-Bradley Kinetix 6200 servo drive, machine builders have access to the drives embedded safety functions which include safe speed control, safe direction and safe torque off.

They also support the use of the Allen-Bradley CompactBlock Guard I/O modules and Allen Bradley POINT Guard I/O modules on EtherNet/IP, enabling fast system configuration and improved sharing of information. Featuring a 1oo2 safety architecture, the Compact GuardLogix controllers are rated up to Safety Integrity Level 3 (SIL 3) and Performance Level e (PL e) – the highest level of machine safety.