On 2023-06-14, the EU passed the new Machinery Safety Regulation. The new Regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 2023-06-29 [1]. This legislation repeals the 2006/42/EC Machinery Directive, just not right away.
Read MoreTraining and travel during a climate crisis and a pandemic
It sounds like the opening chapter of a dystopian novel; the world is being affected by a climate crisis that is making it difficult or impossible for people to live outside, and a pandemic is making it dangerous to stay indoors. This world exists today, and not some dark vision about how things might be…
Read MoreUnderstanding safety functions: Indicators and alarms
这是本系列的最后一部分和erstanding safety functions. When indicators and alarms come up in conversations between machinery controls engineers, large process plant control rooms like those shown at left often come to mind. While this is certainly true, there are many instances on smaller machines and assembly lines where alarms…
Read More❌ ISO 13849-1:2023 – Do Not Use ❌
This is a first On Thursday, 2023-04-27, ISO published ISO 13849-1:2023, the 4th edition of the dominant functional safety standard for machinery. Usually, I would be the first to tell you that you should buy the standard as quickly as possible and start using it immediately. Today is not a normal day. As Command Module…
Read MoreUnderstanding safety functions: Fluctuations, loss and restoration of power sources
Control systems must be protected against fluctuations and power loss, whether electrical or fluidic. Fluctuations and losses are well defined in IEC, IEEE and ISO standards. Careful design of electrical systems, including the use of UPSs for electrical control systems and the careful design of pneumatic supply systems, including the proper sizing of pneumatic accumulators for compressed air-powered logic, is essential.