Page 15 - Industrial Technology October/ November 2020 issue

MACHINE BUILDING

Safe data over one cable
Connecting a safety laser scanner to a safety controller
over EFI Pro allows the designer to access all safe and
standard data over one cable to create adaptive, scalable
modular safety. Field switching, adding multiple scanners
or connecting to robots, encoders and other devices with
CIP Safety or standard Ethernet on board no longer
requires multiple cables and programming tools.
Connected to the Flexi Soft modular controller, EFI Pro
provides value-added services on top of Ethernet/IP CIP
Safety, such as time synchronisation of multiple devices
for advanced diagnostics and data processing. Non-safe
communication to any other network facilitates the
simultaneous output of data, for example for AGV
navigation over the same cable.
As an example, when MasterMover developed its new
heavy weight AGV300 Tow, safety was the unequivocal
starting point. Each standard MasterMover AGV model
uses two Sick microScan3 scanners that communicate via Robot tending provides future-proof security as both standards and
the EFI Pro Gateway (EtherNet/IP CIP Safety) to the Sick Fanuc robots have worked together with Sick to bridge a connected devices align with CIP Safety over EtherNet/IP
Flexi Soft Safety Controller. Using Sick’s Flexi Soft Safety gap in connectivity between robot tending an injection in future.
Controller and Sick Safety Designer software provided an moulding machine. The resulting development achieved a Networks can be used to reduce wiring and increase
ecosystem for MasterMover to confidently integrate their simple I/O ‘handshake’ between the robot and the automation. By additionally implementing Safety over
own safety system and achieve an integrated and machine by using Sick’s Flexi-Soft safety controller with Networks, complex applications can be realised whilst
standards-compliant safety design. Together with Sick’s the addition of the Sick Safe EFI-PRO gateway solution for increasing productivity and availability with high levels of
DFS60 safety encoders, and the Sick Drive Monitor FX3- standard industrial EtherNet-based safety network diagnostics. The openness of the system makes it a
MOC1, all of these devices are integrated into an integration over CIP Safety. The solution was versatile component to help production teams navigate
application achieving PLd (EN ISO 13849)/SIL2 (EN groundbreaking in bridging a gap in connectivity, as well a path to Industry 4.0 and the IIoT.
62061). as providing a proven, extremely simple system that MORE INFORMATION: www.sick.co.uk