Rockwell Automation has announced the launch of a Safety Automation Builder (SAB) tool and Safety Functions which will help automate safety-system development and save machinery design time
According to Rockwell, the SAB configuration software and Safety Functions pre-engineered design documents will help users navigate the safety-system design process and apply best practices.
The company said the SAB software automates the safety-selection process to help speed system design and minimise human error.
Traditionally, engineers needed to go through an extensive process of printing machinery-layout drawings, drawing hard and movable guarding, identifying potentially hazardous access points and required safety functions, selecting safety input, output and logic devices, and calculating the achieved PL for the safety-related control system. This resulted in a handwritten list of required materials and safety calculations that engineers had to transfer into documents, drawings and reports.
With the SAB tool however, users can import an image of machinery and answer questions using a drop-down menu and help screens to identify and select the necessary safeguards.
The software then compiles all product selections, generates a bill of materials, and compiles necessary data to populate SISTEMA. As part of the process, users also receive a SISTEMA project file.
To support the SAB tool, Rockwell has also released new Safety Functions, which are pre-engineered design documents containing detailed information for each safeguarding method, including specific functionality, PL and required input, logic and output components. The SAB software can be downloaded on the Rockwell Automation website for free, and also requires that users download and run SISTEMA.
