Rockwell PACs expand 'integrated safety' approach
8 Jun 2010
London – Rockwell Automation is to extend its “Integrated Safety” approach to small- to mid-range applications with the launch of new safety variants of its Allen-Bradley 1768 CompactLogix L43 and L45 process automation controllers (PACs). The units are designed for use with Rockwell’s POINT Guard I/O and CompactBlock Guard I/O offerings.
The two new safety-capable, mid-size PACs are ready for launch in the first quarter 2010, said Rockwell. These, it claimed, are set “to revolutionise safety installations in small- to medium-size applications in much the same way that [its] GuardLogix PACs did for larger applications.”
According to Rockwell, the learning curve for the new safety-enabled PACs is also extremely low as existing users of CompactLogix and ControlLogix will see the same RSLogix 5000 programming environment; the major addition being high integrity add-on instruction sets for safety routines.
Embedded safety functionality (to SIL 3), meanwhile, means users can simplify their automation and safety infrastructures. With one communication infrastructure, one programming language and one master control unit, all the additional hardware, wiring, training and complexity associated with discrete safety systems is removed.
But this is not achieved by sacrificing core PAC capabilities. There are no imposed restrictions to language, motion or communications, and by using EtherNet/IP, users are still able to use the PACs for discrete control and motion applications - in the exactly the same way as their non-safety equivalents.
The L43 and 45 processors offer control of up to eight axes, can incorporate multiple communication cards to deal with multiple protocols. They also feature high-speed Logix engine and can cater for multiple I/O configuration.
