Smart Machine Helps Ease Safety Compliance and Improve Production

Solutions in Action

Yalong was founded in 1983 in China based in Wenzhou city as a national high-tech enterprise. Known as an industry leader in China as dedicated educational/training equipment supplier, it serves various China Educational Institutions including 10,000+ technical Schools, vocational Schools and universities & colleges.

It provides not only integrated solutions but also consulting services, curriculum development, high-end training, online education and other personnel trainings to the customers in various industries.

Yalong creates smart machines and equipment that allow users to better leverage the most powerful element available to improve their production: their own real-time data.

Smart machines like the YL1805B gearbox assembly machine deliver:

• Unprecedented access to real-time data that can be turned into actionable information. Granular data can be logged and analyzed to help employees make better decisions and ultimately optimize equipment and manufacturing processes; and improve operational efficiency, quality and output.
• Greater connectivity via an open, standard network architecture – such as EtherNet/IP – enabling real-time collaboration and data sharing upstream and downstream, and across the enterprise.

Smart Machine Delivers Real-Time Data

The YL1805B gearbox assembly machine demonstrates the capabilities a smart machine with an integrated safety system.

It utilizes FactoryTalk^® View SE and PanelView™ Plus graphic terminals to display real-time status of the safety system, including E-stops, light curtain, scanner and door switches. The FactoryTalk^® Metrics system collects and reports on machine performance, safety events and safety reason codes. It shows performance data including OEE with machine working time, number of assembled gear boxes a day/per hour, and quality. It also produces a downtime report with a summary of events (idle, faults and safety); and a daily safety occurrence report.

Smart Safety Tools Ease Compliance

Now, users have a single tool suite to help manage, document and confirm compliance throughout the entire safety development. The Safety Lifecycle Toolkit from Rockwell Automation gives engineers one environment to complete the entire machine safety lifecycle, as defined in standards ISO 12100, ISO 13849 and ANSI B11:0.

These tools guide engineers through the steps of the machinery safety lifecycle within one environment, providing documentation to show compliance with international standards. Users can select all elements of an individual safety function, including input, logic and output devices, and will receive SISTEMA (Safety Integrity Software Tool for Evaluation of Machine Applications) calculation files to confirm performance-level requirements are met.

The toolkit includes a new version of the Safety Automation Builder software tool from Rockwell Automation. This is integrated with two other tools – the RASWin software tool from SolidSafe and Connected Components Accelerator Toolkit (CCAT) from Rockwell Automation. The integration of the RASWin risk-assessment software allows users with a Rockwell Automation subscription to conduct a risk assessment; define functional specifications; and complete safety-system validation within the toolkit. This helps ease the compliance process because documentation is thorough, consistent and standardized from one project to the next.

Based on the results of the machine safety risk assessment and safety standard ISO 13849, this smart machine meets Category 3/PLd for integrated safety. In addition, the Safety Lifecycle Toolkits and safety assessment ultimately helps end users ease safety compliance and reduce costs.

Machinery Safety Functions

Protecting people and productivity with integrated safety solutions, the YL1805B gearbox assembly machine includes additional machinery safety functions:

• Emergency Stop (E-stop): The E-stop immediately halts the movement of the machine and conveyor.
• GuardShield™ Micro400 Safety Light Curtain: Provides additional entry-exit protection and stops machine movement. When the light curtain is reset, the safety loop automatically resets.
• 440G-LZ Guard Locking Safety Switch: When the door is open, the output signal controls the arm and conveyor.
• SafeZone™ Safety Laser Scanner: Compact devices monitor personnel approaching the machine. When people leave the protection area, the safety circuit resets automatically.
• Compact GuardLogix^® 5370 Safety Controller: Part of the Integrated Architecture^® system, these controllers include integrated safety and help to ensure that safety performance meets globally accepted standards (Category 3/ISO 13849-1).
• Smart sensor with IO-Link Technology: Integrates sensors into our Connected Enterprise, providing the controller with diagnostics, and detailed and accurate machine health status to improve uptime.

Allen-Bradley, FactoryTalk, GuardSield, GuardLogix, Integrated Architecture, PanelView, Rockwell Automation and SafeZone are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.

EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are the property of their respective companies.