Functional Safety and Industrial Communication Associated for the Smart Factory

Abstract

Traditionally, machines safety were realized with hardwired circuits; today, there is a growing trend to use programmable electronic technology such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs). The present paper introduces an innovative platform designed to be used in industrial automation practical work. The platform includes the different technologies used in functional safety: safe relays, safe programmable logic controllers that can be programmed with the specific software of each manufacturer, various safe sensors, and actuators. For building a safety application system with a safety PLC or a safety relay and eventually an associated safety network, users shall consider to not only a safety programming but also technology, configuration, installation, operation, and maintenance. So the platform allows to students to acquire the theoretical knowledge and experimental technical skills in industrial safety and to realize the choice, design and the setting of the appropriate structure of the control system for the required availability and safety. The proposed laboratory experimental pieces of training are focusing on functional safety in factory automation with the last technologies used in the industry. The various experimental stations of the platform are described. This innovative platform developed will be employed by Bachelor and Master students. Students are part-time workers for one or two years in the industrial engineering domain at the Electrical Engineering department of University Claude Bernard of Lyon, France.