Krones responds to EN ISO 14119 standard with Schmersal safety sensors
The decision came after Krones conducted a market investigation on protection against tampering and AS-i-Safety at Work connectivity.
Soft drinks, wine, spirits
Every day millions of bottles, cans and shaped containers are processed on plants manufactured by Krones, particularly in breweries, the soft drinks industry, wine, sparkling wine and spirits producers.
Krones employs over 14,000 people worldwide. The company develops and produces around 3,000 machines and plants for the filling and packaging technology sector every year. And about 90% of Krones products are sold abroad.
"Our customers, especially the international corporations, place great emphasis on ensuring their machines work smoothly, but also demand safety is at the highest level and meets the requirements of the currently applicable legal regulations," said Robert Giehrl, head of control technology, Corporate Research and Development, Krones.
As part of the tender for the safety interlock, Krones' products used by more than 15 suppliers were subjected to an internal assessment and complex tests.
The EN ISO 14119 standard, which places greater demands on the protection against tampering with the protective equipment used on machinery.
The company finally decided to partner with Schmersal to use its safety sensor RSS36, which is already in use at Krones, and the AZM300 safety interlock.
Integrated RFID technology
"The integrated RFID technology enables both components to achieve the coding level "high" according to EN ISO 14119, ensuring a high degree of tamper protection", said Christian Heller, head of product management, Schmersal Group.
Both the sensor and the interlock are equipped with an integrated AS-i Safety at Work interface.
"We have an exceptionally comprehensive program of safety components with AS-i interface. All of our main series are available with AS-i Safety nodes," added Heller.
According to Giehrl, this is an important advantage with regard to tamper protection.
"What use is it if the individual sensor has a high tamper protection, but the safety devices can be electronically manipulated. With the AS-i link I have complete protection against tampering, as the safety circuit can only be manipulated as a whole and this requires considerable effort,” he said.
"Since automation technology became part of mechanical engineering the number of sensors and cables increased dramatically.
IP69K protection rating
“As cables are very difficult to clean, the food industry is pushing for technology with fewer cables, which can be well achieved with AS-i."
Once installed, an AS-i based safety system can be changed or extended at any time which Krones said is an important factor because customers are increasingly demanding machines that are flexible due to the rapidly growing variety of bottled products and product packaging.
Up to 15 safety switches are integrated in a Krones machine. In addition, the RSS36 safety sensor and the AZM300 safety interlock feature a hygienic design with IP69K protection rating.
"Schmersal is a globally recognized supplier and specialist in machine safety. For our globally operating customer it is important the components are available worldwide and the manufacturers can be contacted locally if necessary,” added Giehrl.
“Because our machines have a long service life, spare parts must also be available from suppliers over the long term."
