Pallet Conveyors with Interlock and Integrated RFID Access
How can you control who can perform a Manual Reset (on Pallet Conveyors)?
On light curtain guarded spaces, interruption or tripping of the infrared beam initiates a stop command at the safety related part of the control system (SRP/CS). For example, performing a stop on pallet conveyors.
Light curtains are in place to protect personnel from safeguarded spaces. Interruption of these typically means something has gone wrong, and protocols should be followed to return the SRP/CS to its operating state. Allowing untrained operators to perform this manual reset comes with potential dangers which is why the Fortress solution has been designed to ensure only the right person can perform the right tasks.
In this case study we will explain how processes can be controlled based on training levels
With a muting light curtain, access to a hazardous area is temporarily disabled (muting), allowing products to enter the hazardous area. Any operator passing the light curtain will cause a detected breakage to the IR beam, stopping the machine.
It is critical that all stoppages are recorded and corrective actions put in place to avoid future occurrences. How can this customer prevent the wrong person being able to perform the manual reset of the system and bypassing the standard procedures?
Pallet Conveyors
With Access Control, permissions can be given to specific user RFID badges which allows them to perform certain functions. In this case, permission to preform manual reset of the pallet conveyors.
The site manager who has this permission can approach the RFID tag on the interlock, scan their unique RFID badge, and with the approval to access this location, can press the ‘blue pushbutton’ to perform manual reset the control system and reset the SRP/CS. Indication of permission can be shown via illumination of the ‘ACCESS GRANTED’ green lamp.
An operator without this permission would approach the FRANK system, scan their badge, and not be permitted to perform this function. Indication of ‘ACCESS DENIED’ can be shown via illumination of the red lamp.
Why Choose The Fortress Solution?
RFID tag for Badge recognition and permission control can be easily designed into your solution
¿ Did you know Fortress can utilise existing on-site badges with the RFID badge access technologies?
The RFID badge reader has been designed as a feature alongside the heavy duty interlocking solutions for easy integration into any networked solution with EtherNet/IP or PROFINET. Will leads to the next key feature…
Device communicates data via EtherNet/IP & CIP Safety or PROFINET & PROFIsafe for direct connection to the safety PLC.
Connectivity with EtherNet/IP alone can present significant savings to installation costs (associated with hard wiring) and physical hardware (no need for lengthy expensive cables to transfer I/O to and from this device).
Permission-Assigning and Data-Collection software offered alongside for managing users, devices and permissions
Easily assign specific users to perform specific tasks such as perform a manual reset.
Here we have three different users to perform processes on three different devices on the pallet conveyors. One user, the Operations Manager, has permission to perform all three. The other two users, only have permission to perform one of the three processes. Why? Perhaps because these users have not yet received the correct training to perform these processes. Perhaps these processes must be performed by a senior member of staff as part of the company protocol.
Using our data collection software FRANK, audit logs can be created to easily track who performs processes, who accesses specific areas, and times processes or access were performed.
Why is this important?
Data and analytics can be used for key insights into productivity and downtime. They can be used to monitor shift patterns, address operational inefficiencies, recognize irregularities and most importantly, improve uptime.
In this case study, insights were used to identify frequency of access via the interlock on the pallet conveyors, track machine downtime, and record the time to reset the SRP/CS following a trip of the light-curtain safety contacts.
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