SICK leads the way with new safety bus nodes

Citation

(2003), "SICK leads the way with new safety bus nodes", Assembly Automation, Vol. 23 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2003.03323cad.006

SICK leads the way with new safety bus nodes

SICK leads the way with new safety bus nodes

Keywords: Safety, Automation

Erwin Sick has extended its range of Intelliface® safety interfaces into the most exciting area of safety technology development – the safety bus network. The first products to be announced are from the UE 1000 range and suitable for Profibus Safe systems. Further introductions are planned for ASi Safe later in the year.

The UE4150 IP67 Profibus node (Plates 6 and 7) is released to coincide with the availability of Profibus Sale systems. This highly advanced bus module exploits all the advantages of Profibus and can co-exist on the same standard bus network as Profibus DP, removing the need for separate safety bus and control networks.

Plate 6 Robot cell and palletiser

Plate 7 UE4150 IP67 Profibus node

Having one single bus address, the UE4150 is an intelligent node and can be configured to handle intelligent SICK safety sensors such as the C4000 light grid and laser scanners. This allows complete diagnosis and configuration back up over the bus network, greatly increasing the reliability over low complexity systems.

The 1P67 housing means big savings over IP20 I/O modules mounted in panels, making the UE4150 a compact and cost effective option. Cabling is simple with all I/O and power requirements being handled by the UE4150, and no other connections are required.

The UE4150 bus node has also 18 configurable active/passive inputs for other safety sensors such as, emergency stop buttons, interlock switches, reset button, indication lamps, enable switches and muting sensors. All of these items can be monitored and configured via a single address, making the UE4150 a powerful and flexible node for all applications.

As expected, the Intelliface bus nodes meet the latest safety requirements and are all certified to IEC 61508. They are suitable for sensors and applications from SIL 1-3 and EN 954-1, categories 2-4.

What about other bus systems and the future?

SICK are geared for the future and as other safety bus open networks become available, there will be a UE 1000 node made available for the protocol. ASi will be available shortly, with a range including a UE 1000 safety monitor.

All SICK intelligent sensors (light curtains, scanner, light grids, interfaces) will use a common software tool allowing retrofit to network nodes and peer-to-peer communication.

Application examples

In terms of applications, the UE4150 is suitable for modern automation processes, such as a Robot Cell, where the bus node handles all the safety functions of the cell. Light curtains and scanners are monitored and controlled for operator protection. The door access gates can be controlled and monitored during operator intervention, with appropriate provision for indicator lamps, enable switches, and E-stop and reset buttons – all connected and controlled by the UE4150.

For further information, contact: Ann White or Andrea Hornby – Erwin Sick Ltd, Waldkirch House, 39 Hedley Road, ST ALBANS, Hertfordshire ALl 5BN, UK. Tel: 01727 831121; Fax: 01727 856767; Web site: www.sick.co.uk; E-mail: info@sick.co.uk