Pilz safety relays have been approved for applications within the nuclear industry.
Automation technology supplier Pilz has had its PNOZsigma safety relays approved for use within the nuclear industry under the latest Office of Nuclear Regulation (ONR) guidelines.
As safety is a chief concern within the nuclear industry, ONR guidelines insist that UK Nuclear Site Licensees must fulfil an ‘intelligent customer’ role when implementing ‘smart’ components, which requires them to view the evidence supporting the claims made in the certification.
According to Pilz, smart components contain firmware with the inherent potential to contain unrevealed faults, hence the need for substantiation.
The process of substantiation was carried out using the UK nuclear industry standard Emphasis tool.
Following initial auditing, three engineers from Sellafield nuclear facility carried out the audit at the Pilz headquarters in Ostfildern, Germany, together with PNOZsigma development team members.
Following further tests at Sellafield, including the seismic evaluation of the PNOZsigma in a control panel, the components are now approved for use in Nuclear Safety Systems (NSS) at Sellafield and throughout the UK nuclear industry.
The PNOZ S9 is approved to IEC 61508 SIL 1, while the PNOZ S4, S5 and S7 are approved to SIL 2.
Safety relay features overview:
- Widths from 12.5 mm.
- Selectable operating modes and timers.
- Diagnostics in seconds via six LEDs.
- Expandable.
Follow the link for more information about Pilz PNOZsigma safety relays.
