Sensor based safety components for high integrity machine control systems

Until recently there has been a problem integrating safety related sensors and other safety components with software based control systems for process plant and machinery. Marrying effectively, traditional safety components such as emergency stop buttons, gate interlocks, light curtains, pull cords, safety mats, etc. and the traditional safety relay with modern PCs and PLCs offers quite a challenge. Such problems have now been solved by Smartscan Limited, based in Corby, Northants, UK who have developed the Safenet integrated safety control system ‐ an entirely new approach to machine safety. The Safenet system provides a Master Controller which communicates with field based safety components over a two wire data highway which carries the system power, diagnostic information and all safety related data.