Smart Relays | EMEA

A machine design engineer at a machine tool manufacturer was responsible for designing operation and safety systems of machines. With his focus on achieving the coexistence of humans and machines, he was trying to achieve both safety and production efficiency at workplace.
In designing processes where operators set up tools and materials and machines carry out the following processes, the issue was the unintended downtime caused by the failures of interlock switches installed on safety guards and safety doors. When the controller is connected to the solenoid unit of the interlock switch through a relay, if the relay fails, the safety door is locked. The designer felt that the downtime was a waste of time each time this failure occurred.
IDEC solved the problem of unintended downtime caused by safety relay failures, using a certain product. What did IDEC do?

Reduce the cause of failures using interlock switches that do not require relays
As relays are prone to wear-out and deterioration over time, failures must be taken into consideration. It also takes extra time to investigate how much the relays are deteriorated when inspecting or replacing them. If neglected, unintended downtime occurs caused by relay failures.
IDEC proposed interlock switches, the HS5L Series and the HS1L Series, spring lock type interlock switches with solenoid. They can be used without relays that can cause failures. With the solenoid unit of 200mA, power can be supplied directly if the controller output specification is 200mA, which eliminates the need of a relay. The engineer was happy that the part materials which can cause failures are now eliminated. The unintended downtime he initially planned to reduce was eliminated as well.

Various control product line-up to solve problems at production sites
IDEC has not only interlock switches, but also safety products such as emergency stop switches, enabling switches, safety laser scanners, and safety controllers. IDEC also has trust and experience for safety with the most number of safety assessors in the industry. We can give you consultation on overall safety solutions on manufacturing sites, not only on safety products. Please consult with IDEC if you have any problems at production sites.