What does “established in the community” mean?

To be established in the community, the person or company must be carrying out a lawful economic activity on a stable and continuous basis in a Member State of the EEA.

Making Halloween Lean

Halloween Lean?

Incase you haven’t heard, Lean is in. So we at Pilz wondered if there was a way to apply lean to Halloween. Here’s what Vito Curcuru, our Marketing Manager came up with.

It has been a while since I trick or treated and a lot has changed, but it’s not too late for you to teach lean to a kid! Since these tips involve maximizing candy consumption, it’s probably best to teach this lesson to your nieces and nephews or friend’s kids.

Value Stream Map that route! Look back at last year’s path.  Were some houses better than others? Should you skip the bad ones?  Do you have any relatives who live close by who you can visit 2x or 3x? Did someone in your group slow you down? Is there a local mall with stores giving out candy?

5S that Candy Pile

• Sort out the bad candy
• Straighten the piles-gum in one, ‘good candy’ in another-you get the idea.
• Sweep out those wrappers-you shouldn’t have been eating as you were trick or treating-see VSM step above-but it is Candy time-so you are forgiven.
• Standardize-figure out where the candy sh ould go and mark it off-put that ‘good candy’ in a place your parents and siblings won’t find it, get the ‘bad candy’ in a place siblings and parents can see it-so they only take the bad stuff.  Put gum in a place at home and do not let it get in your school bag-teachers will confiscate it!
• Sustain-don’t mix the piles, find where your parents and siblings keep their candy and replenish your stock.

Must machine builders set up operations in Europe to comply with the new requirements?

The single market is a free market and provides no barriers to suppliers from outside the EU from placing their products on the market. However, there is an important change in the procedures for machine manufacturers exporting into Europe. Such machine builders must identify the person, established in the community, authorized to compile the technical file for the machine.

Planning on going to a Halloween party...

Planning on going to a Halloween party this year, but just can’t stand the thought of not being home to give kids candy? Automate your candy dispensing and decorations with Pilz products.

Mount SafetyEYE® over front door. Program zones so that as the kids move they trigger spooky sounds. Bonus: SafetyEYE® takes snapshots of faults, so you’ll still get to see the kids all dressed up.

Instead of using wooden fencing around your spooky Halloween graveyard, use PSENopt light curtains.

Use the PNOZm3p multi for burner management to control fire under a cauldron or to create a devilish scene complete with fire and brimstone.

Program a touchscreen PMI so kids can make their candy selection. Use the PNOZsigma relay to control the distribution of the candy through chutes.

These are just a few of our ideas; we’d love to hear how you would automate your Halloween decorations and candy distribution.

Overall motion management

Motion control system controls and automates packaging machines
Packaging machines in the pharmaceutical sector are demanding: they have to be reliable, modular and versatile, but most of all they have to be flexible and efficient. The requirements of the corresponding drive and automation system are equally high. Pilz motion control manages the movement of all the servo axes to ensure that complex workflows from infeed to cartoning do not fall out of sync and so that products can be switched at the touch of a button.

With impressive speed and the rhythmic sounds of all these simultaneous processes, foil-packaged tablets stream out of the machine on four channels at once. The machine operation is fully automatic; the actual packaging process is barely visible to the eye. Within seconds, knives transform the endless sheets into manageable sizes, which then find their way into standard cartons with the package inserts included.

Tablets in the morning, maybe capsules in the afternoon, but both need to be sealed on the same machine. Packaging on pharmaceutical products calls for innovative concepts, the wide range of products and packaging sizes demand flexible solutions. Stored process parameters mean that packaging machines can be changed over quickly at the touch of a button, guaranteeing cost effectiveness. Each system must be modular and easily expandable according to need; what’s more, only those plant sections that are currently in use should be active.

As a subsidiary of the international company Romaco-Pharmatechnik GmbH, Romaco develops packaging machines specifically for the pharmaceutical industry. Part of the product portfolio of the Karlsruhe, Germany-based company includes heat sealing machines, which seal pharmaceutical products in film so that they are air and moisture-tight and provide a perfect fit for the relevant shape. The company offers a flexible selection of machinery covering a wide range of functions in accordance with individual customer requirements.

A key component of a versatile packaging machine designed for a variety of tasks is a sealing roller with an asynchronous motor, which sets the timing for all subsequent axes via incremental encoders. A conveyor system feeds in the product for packaging, which is then inserted synchronously into the sealing roller. The heated sealing rollers take the liner material from rollers on both sides, forming an airtight enclosure around the pharmaceutical product. Servo motors drive the axes on a packaging machine. They guarantee a rapid reaction to changing process parameters and therefore a high degree of flexibility in production. 

Pilz motion control (PMC) is responsible for the reliable, synchronous, fully automatic control and coordination of the individual drive axes and motion elements on the heat sealing machines. Precision is the trump card.  For example, the intelligent control and automation solution ensures that the imprint on a pre-printed seal is always positioned in the middle of the tablet pack, or that the lengthways and crossways cut on the packaged product always separates exactly in the middle of two tablets, and that the perforation blade puts the tear line needed to separate individual tablets exactly where it belongs, to within a tenth of a millimeter. Any variations in dimension due to varying fill quantities are adjusted automatically by the controller during operation. “The automation system manages all the movements of a large number of physically separate servo axes within a plant or application”, explains Harald Dietel, Head of Product Management at Pilz. In addition to the original motion control tasks the system also undertakes the machine’s automation in conjunction with the integrated PLC.

There are two different types available: You can either employ the drive-integrated PMCprimo Drive (up to nine axes) or the controller-based PMCprimo 16+ (up to over 100 axes), depending on the number of axes used. PMCprimo Drive is integrated directly within the motor amplifier and can incorporate up to eight additional drives. At the same time it performs the task of a central controller. In this configuration the system contains everything required for the complete automation of small or medium-sized machinery, such as the packaging machine described above. PMCprimo Drive works economically right from the first axis; it reduces the amount of wiring involved and saves space within the control cabinet. If you need to control more than nine axes or larger plants, the PMCprimo 16+ is the system to choose as a central controller. It can be used to implement complex motion and control functions with well over 100 axes. Servo amplifiers, servo motors, panels and many other components required for automation technology help to round off the system.

Whether you are planning a new design or a retrofit for your machine, whether you want a small machine or need whole packaging lines equipped with infeed, packer, cartoning station, palletizer or pick-and-place: both the drive and controller based solutions offer the optimum hardware basis for any application. Pilz motion control is expandable, remaining open and flexible to developments of any type. Both versions have something in common: less work is required during implementation and programming. Numerous function blocks for automating axis movement are available and ready to use. To activate functions such as “cross cutting” for example, just start this up from the menu and set reasonable parameters. The system will detect any implausible combinations and not allow them.

There was a whole range of reasons why Romaco Siebler opted for Pilz motion control for their heat sealing machines.  “Simplicity and expandability were the convincing arguments. Because of the large number of compatible functions, it took hardly any effort to implement the entire system, and that includes parameter setting and diagnostics”, stressed Martin Schneider, electrical design engineer at Romaco Pharmatechnik GmbH in Karlsruhe. Selection was made even easier by the compact design and the fact that both control and automation functions are included in one system and are from one source. “Competent advice and project backing convinced us that we made the right decision” added Jürgen Kratzmeier, Technical Manager at Romaco Pharmatechnik GmbH.

Pilz wants to go one step further in the future: The plan for the next controller generation is that it should combine the various requirements of standard control technology, safety technology and motion control in one system.

Pilz is a global company, as such, not all standards and information will be applicable worldwide. Please check with your local Pilz office to ensure your factory and/or machines meet local standards.

Fast, precise and safe

Proven safety technology for flow wrapping machinexs

Whether it’s powder, liquid or solid: many products cut a better figure in a plastic pouch. Flow wrapping machines not only seal a wide range of products, they also persuade through a whole assortment of attractive pouch types. The machines work quickly and reliably, can be converted to new tasks in no time at all and take up very little space. Pilz safety technology ensures there's no conflict between productivity and safety.

With impressive speed the machine pulls the plastic web over several guide rollers and on to the forming shoulder: it is here that the film web is made into a tube package, which can be filled with pieced, powder, paste, granulated or liquid products as required. A discharge belt pulls the wrap down along the wall of the filling tube, the longitudinal sealing tool seals the film tube vertically. Once filled, the transverse sealing tool seals the packaging horizontally and the blade separates the bags. The benefits of flow wrapping: It can be adapted to suit almost any packaged product perfectly, it enables vacuum packaging and, because the film is transparent, the type and quality of the contents is clearly visible. Whether you need a stand-up, flat or side-sealed pouch: flow wrapping machines can now handle an impressive variety of shapes and solutions.
Rovema Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH is based in Germany and offers a wide range of packaging and cartoning machines for the most wide-ranging products and application areas. The Rovema Group has branches worldwide and currently employs around 700 staff. Flow wrapping machines are a key component in the Rovema portfolio. “The demand today is for intelligent packaging solutions which set standards and are based on the respective requirements at the point of sale. At the same time they must be economical and future-proof", says Walter Maurer, who is responsible for electrical design and standardisation at Rovema.

Perfect packaging in the shortest possible time
The medium-sized company supplies intermittent horizontal/vertical, continuous vertical and double axis flow wrapping machines with a linear motor. The machines are always modular and open for future tasks and trend changes.  All the flow wrapping machines have compact dimensions and can be operated in stand-alone mode as well as in a network with other plant and machinery.

As shown, the packaging material on the VPL flow wrapping machine is fed from rollers and the machine operates vertically: The product to be packaged is fed in to the bag via a collection container and down-tube; the filling, sealing and separating process runs continuously. A non-wearing linear motor is the main drive for the transverse sealing station. Some of the outstanding features of the VPL flow wrapping machine include: its wide format range with high performance, the ability to store individual production programs, freely programmable sealing times and high sealing pressures, plus the vacuum film draw down unit which guarantees consistent bag lengths even with extremely thin films (from 20 µm). The high pressure of the transverse sealing tools means that the sealed seams are especially tight. The use of special magnesium alloys for moving parts minimises the mass moment of inertia and increases output. If necessary it is also easy to integrate additional features such as pulse welding, a zip strip applicator for producing re-closable bags, edge profiling and online diagnostics via modem.

Safe, efficient processes
High availability and highly automated processes require an efficient safety management in the background, which will not only exclude any risk to operators in the event of a fault but will also prevent serious damage to the machine. However, safety-related equipment must not work to the detriment of productivity. In other words: safety technology is intended to protect the operator from injury, but must not obstruct him in his work any more than is necessary. In issues concerning safety, Pilz has enjoyed an excellent reputation in the mechanical engineering sector for many years.  “We choose Pilz because the company is the recognised manufacturer for safety technology on the market. That’s why our machines only leave this factory fitted with Pilz safety solutions”, stresses Walter Maurer. As with all their other flow wrapping machines, the VPL is fitted with PNOZ safety relays. When these are operated, the machine comes to an immediate stop.  Non-contact electromagnetic safety switches PSENmag monitor the sliding gates and covers to ensure they are securely locked, the safety relays evaluate the signals. Should an operator open one of the access gates during the filling phase, the machine will immediately switch to a safe condition.

Rovema can now look back on fifteen years of co-operation with the safety specialists from Ostfildern near Stuttgart. One of the reasons for the successful business partnership is that the development of new packaging solutions always goes hand in hand with the integration of modern safety solutions. When it comes to new and continuing developments, Pilz is one of the first at the table as a partner for safety. “Our partnership is characterised by the quality and reliability of the products, the expertise of Pilz's external sales engineers and, finally, trusting co-operation", says Walter Maurer, summing up. An excellent basis for some good business in the future.

Our company currently uses the procedure of sending a technical file for review and retention by a notified body. What options do we have?

This specific procedure will no longer exist under the new Directive. Beginning December 29, 2009, manufacturers of products placed on the market on the basis of these procedures will have to apply one of the procedures set out in the new Directive 2006/42/EC. For machines manufactured in accordance with harmonized standards that cover all the relevant health and safety requirements and are competently assessed, the manufacturer will be able to certify the conformity of the product him/herself.

Are there changes to the procedures for establishing #conformance?

Both the existing and new directives provide for stricter conformance assessment procedures for specific categories of highly hazardous machines listed in Annex IV of the directive. For such machines self-certification is now possible when harmonized standards are fully applied. It will no longer be possible for manufacturers of machines to provide a Technical Construction File to a Notified Body for review and retention. An additional assessment process assuring conformance through inspection and quality assurance is provided.

Quick, but gentle

Automating a confectionery packaging machine

Chocolate products place heavy demands on packaging machine manufacturers. Speed and flexibility need to be combined with gentle handling. The Italian company Fima specialises in the packaging of confectionery products. To make sure that the machines “stay in time” and that the individual modules are perfectly synchronized, the company uses Pilz motion control; not only does it control the automation and drives reliably and flexibly, it’s easy to handle too.

Ever decreasing loads, frequent product changes and rapid time-to-market – these are the challenges that chocolate product manufacturers face. Fima, which is based in Bologna, belongs to the OPM Group and is famous for its innovative packaging machines, predominantly for the confectionery industry. Although the company operates internationally, it sells most of its machines into Germany, for that’s where there is a huge demand for gentle product handling and a high level of flexibility.

Modular concept for packaging chocolates 

Fima’s “Sweet Magic HF” (Hollow Figures) wrapping machine can handle several different wrapping styles for chocolate pralines – from envelope style to single and double twist wrapping, through to hollow figure wrapping.

The machine has a belt conveyor with ready-made molds corresponding to the product to be wrapped; it also has an integrated, automatic product infeed.

Like all Fima’s machines it has a modular design, in other words, it can be broken down into functional blocks, made up of individual modules or an electromechanical component.

• The “infeed” module consists of a belt conveyor containing product-specific molds, which feeds the products on to the turntable.
• Paper handling: Electromechanical component to unwind, cut and position the foil on the product
• Turntable: Carousel with eight stations, which divides the folding processes into individual steps. Each folding step is undertaken by a specific wrapping module;
• Wrapping module: Each of these modules performs a specific wrapping step;
• Belt module: Used for products that have additional braiding;
• Pick and place: Feeds the machine. The products are picked from a transport plate and placed on the belt conveyor. The products are picked up using suction caps.

Special configuration features

The various modules are very easily accessible for a rapid format change. This is also an advantage for the machine’s maintenance and cleaning requirements, particularly in view of the fact that all the modules are self supporting, i.e. dirt drops off as soon as the module is removed.

To switch the format, or the product, all the operator has to do is exchange the wrapping module for the respective packaging type, the product-specific belt conveyor and the turntable. The remaining adjustments for the new format are made automatically when switching to a new recipe.

All the servo motors are linked to the movement of the turntable via electrical cams. The cams are defined via the stored recipes, and all the machine’s movements are finely coordinated in the process. All the adjustments for new products result from the recipe selection made on the operator terminal. The pick-and-place station is not a separate part of the machine, as is often the case, but receives the data from the same recipe data set. This means it’s possible to undergo a complete format or product change in around 30 minutes, including all the mechanical modifications.

Particular attention was paid to special functions on the machine, to counteract material waste. Thanks to the “No product, no packing material” function, the wrapping material is only unwound and drawn into the machine when the product is actually present.

High-level performance

The machine’s flexibility was achieved thanks to the versatility of the motion control system PMCprimo Drive, which is employed in these machines. This enables the operator to optimize the synchronization of the individual axes at any time.

The “Sweet Magic HF” uses five Pilz servo motors, which are automated via the drive-integrated control system PMCprimo Drive. As no space is required for a separate controller, it’s also possible to save space in the control cabinet. With the development of the PMCprimo Drive it was finally possible to meet the various requirements of the packaging machine manufacturers. Fima in particular was able to increase the efficiency of its machines demonstrably.  Optimum packaging is achieved thanks to the ability to detect the exact position of both the product and the wrapping material.

Also, the control system can react quickly to changes by optimizing a series of pre-defined parameters.
In terms of the software, all functions are implemented using ready-made program modules in accordance with IEC61131-3; all that’s needed is to set the parameters. So the programming of complex functions is reduced to a minimum. Another feature of the control system that Fima values very highly is the ability to use all the digital outputs on the PMCprimo Drive as digital cams. This means that the status of the outputs depends on the respective axis position. So fast reaction times are guaranteed and the solenoid valves in the machine are reliably controlled.

Both Pilz and Fima are convinced that they have taken the right course in terms of satisfying the rapid changes in market requirements.  This can be achieved through machines with minimum set-up times, which guarantee high plant availability. Not forgetting the flexibility of a modern machine, which enables an immediate reaction to trends and special requests.

Pilz has been a motion control partner of Fima for many years; with the PMC product series (Pilz Motion Control) and all its possibilities, it has contributed to the success that the packaging machines have enjoyed.

Solutions for the packaging industry

Pilz combines the issues of safety, automation and motion control. From sensor technology and the corresponding evaluation devices with diagnostics and visualization, through to actuator technology: Pilz can implement universal solutions. The packaging sector is keen to increase quantities and the number of product types. This is where Pilz can point to new horizons. Many Pilz products are designed to meet the specific needs of the industry.   For example, PSEN safety switches take into account the industry’s strict hygiene requirements by being resistant to cleaning agents. The range of PMI operator terminals also includes units with approval to be used in flammable and explosive environments. Excellent recipe management is also provided, so that rapid format changes can be supported.

Pilz is a global company, as such, not all standards and information will be applicable worldwide. Please check with your local Pilz office to ensure your factory and/or machines meet local standards.

Are machines like printers and other office equipment included in the #MachineryDirective?

The existing machinery directive excluded machines where the hazard sources were primarily electrical as these could be CE marked under the Low Voltage Directive (LVD). The interpretation of the LVD and the existing Machinery Directive, resulted in the unintentional exclusion from the machinery directive of machines on which it could be claimed that the hazards were primarily electrical. In certain cases such an interpretation resulted in only the LVD being applied. This loophole is now closed by specifically listing in the new Machinery Directive the electrical and electronic products which are covered by the LVD as opposed to the new Machinery Directive. They include:
·    Household appliances intended for domestic use
·    Audio and video equipment
·    Information technology equipment
·    Ordinary office machinery
·    Low-voltage switch gear and control gear
·    Electric motors
·    Switch gear, control-gear and transformers
Machinery builders making products not covered by the above exclusions and who previously elected to apply the LVD will not have to apply the new Machinery Directive as well as the LVD.

Safe Interaction Between Man and Machine

Modern safety and control concept leads to greater productivity

Faster, more flexible, safer – with this objective in mind, the level of automation on plant and machinery continues to advance in all industries. Both safety and control technology take these high requirements into account. If necessary, powerful components can be combined to form complete systems, which guarantee safety on the one hand, and can increase productivity on the other. If the user can adapt technology to suit his requirements, then he has a cost-effective, tailor-made solution.

In many industries, packing is still associated with manual work. Where man and machine work together, the risk of injury must be minimized to the greatest possible extent. Safety devices used to be viewed as obstructive and inconvenient, but today the opposite is true: modern safety and control concepts make handling easier, and plant and machinery more productive.

Faster thanks to the new safety concept
The semi-automatic vacuum-packing machine feeds in the bottom foil via a roller; it is then transported via a chain drive. The foil is brought up to temperature in the forming chamber; a special compressed air/forming procedure and the appropriate tool are used to create the desired tray shape for each packaged product. Staff use both hands to insert grilled sausages into the tray-shaped plastic film, six pieces per row and per pack, before the conveyor moves on and another set emerges from the forming station. After the filling station comes the sealing station: The top film seal is fed through a second roller; a vacuum pump extracts the air and thereby the oxygen. This slows down the activity of the micro-organisms, while the inflow of nitrogen prevents the sausage slices from sticking together. Finally, the top and bottom film layers are impulse sealed under pressure in the sealing chamber. The product packaging is now secure and durable. At the machine outfeed, longitudinal and transverse cutters separate the packaged product into individual trays, which are then fed into transport crates via conveyor. Two coils wind up the residual film cut from both sides.

Sprinter is the name of the latest development from Komet, manufacturer of semi and fully automatic vacuum packaging machines. The company is based in Plochingen, Germany, and has its roots in the butchers’ trade. It’s in this field in particular that Komet’s table-top units are used, as they provide an airtight seal for everything that needs to be kept fresh and preserved. Even in the butchers’ industry there appears to be an irresistible trend away from the skilled producer and towards industrial production; customers increasingly ask for ready-packed goods, so Komet is increasingly focusing on semi and fully automatic machinery. Flexible and quick to convert, they can pack items in up to eight parallel trays, depending on the packaged product and the size, with or without automatic infeed. Even non-food goods can be packaged and sealed efficiently using automated packaging machines.
Another reason why the machine is called Sprint is because, in comparison to the previous model Quickvac 2000, it can convey products to their packaging more quickly, using a less complicated procedure. That’s because of a modern safety and control concept, which Pilz developed for Komet.

Designed for maximum compatibility: sensor technology, evaluation device and visualization on the Sprinter, the multifunctional safety system PNOZmulti configures simpler, safer interaction between man and machine. The safety system has a modular structure and can be used flexibly to suit the application. Instead of wiring, the user configures the needed functions simply, in a configuration tool. This saves time, space and money because there is no longer any complex individual wiring and all the safety-related functions are located in one housing. PNOZmulti is cost effective when monitoring four or more safety functions and can also undertake standard control tasks.

By comparison the safety devices on its predecessor were simplistic and mainly based on individually wired switches and contactors. Large covers safeguarded wide-ranging potential danger zones such as the forming and sealing stations via switch contacts. The infeed area in between was narrow and only allowed a one-up arrangement.

On the Sprinter, the cover on the forming station is reduced to a minimum. Instead, an advance security slide ensures that it is impossible to reach into either the forming or the sealing station from the filling station. If the slide switch is not closed, the safety system will prevent the bottom film from being formed and stop pressing and heat-sealing in the sealing station. Propulsion drives and valves are switched off; the central PMI operator terminal (Pilz Machine Interface) receives an error message, stating the cause and the source.

Magnetic safety switches, PSENmag, monitor the mobile protective hood over the sealing station, the longitudinal and transverse cutters, and the lower positions of the lift cylinder plus the security slide on the forming/sealing station. The PNOZmulti also monitors the E-STOP and the enablers that control the heaters and valves (pneumatic + hydraulic). The risk of injury from the packaging machine, therefore, is kept to a minimum, both during operation and in setup mode. “With PNOZmulti the machine has a flexible safety concept which is really easy to adapt to our requirements. Now the infeed area has a three-up arrangement, so assembly is quicker and easier, plus the machine is more productive“, says Harald Janke, Technical Manager at Komet.

Solution for safety and standard
A modern control solution also fell within the scope of the cooperation between Komet and Pilz. The standard control technology on the Sprinter also comes in useful for automatic operation and setup mode. “People at Komet were unhappy with the existing control solution and were looking for an efficient alternative”, recalls Ralf Kessler, Applications Engineer at Pilz. Now they are using a PMI operator terminal in conjunction with a Profibus Master. A soft PLC runs under the Windows CE operating system. The standard I/O modules are logged and controlled via the PSSuniversal. The Pilz centralized control platform covers the whole I/O periphery as one system and is universally applicable. Users have three options: pure safety applications, combined safety and standard applications or exclusively conventional/standard control functions. With the grey, standard head modules it is possible to use analog and digital standard inputs and outputs on the fieldbus systems, without a functional connection to the safety technology.
On the Sprinter, the head module of the PSSuniversal is also connected to the PMI via Profibus-DP, just like the PNOZmulti. Due to the system’s modular design, the PSSuniversal can be individually adapted specifically to meet the respective requirement. If any adaptations are required, modules can simply be expanded or exchanged.

Benefitting from expertise
Pilz was also contracted to complete the electrical design, prepare the circuit diagrams and carry out the programming, including commissioning.
“As a small company with around 30 staff we are reliant on competent, reliable partners for our electrical design and programming; we need partners who know what’s happening and know what’s important to us”, says Janke, “Here we found Pilz to be a suitable partner, their technical advice was superb and the collaboration with the Pilz staff ran smoothly.”

The competence of Komet in terms of automation technology, combined with Pilz’s expertise in matters of control technology and safety, jointly produced a new vacuum packing machine that operates more productively and is therefore of greater value.


Pilz is a global company, as such, not all standards and information will be applicable worldwide. Please check with your local Pilz office to ensure your factory and/or machines meet local standards.

Q. Why are partly completed machines treated differently in the #MachineryDirective?

A. Partly completed machines are the only category of machine to which all the obligations under the directive do not apply. That is because it may not be possible for a "partly completed machine” to fully comply until it is incorporated into the end machine. Consequently there is a newly defined specific procedure for "partly completed machines" requiring that:

the assembly instructions for partly completed machinery must contain a description of the conditions which must be met with a view to correct incorporation in the final machinery so as not to compromise safety and health.
The declaration of incorporation must include:

a sentence declaring which essential requirements of this Directive are applied and fulfilled...and, where appropriate, a sentence declaring the conformity of the partly completed machine with other relevant Directives.
a statement that the partly completed machinery must not be put into service until the final machinery into which it is to be incorporated has been declared in conformity with the provisions of this Directive, where appropriate.

Manufacturers of partly completed machines will need to implement the prescribed procedures. The objective is to provide security to machinery builders and users in relation to the obligations on manufacturers of partly built machines, while providing clarity on the safe integration of such products in machines or assemblies of machines.

Packaging and Safety: What You Can Do to Protect Employees

Machine builders and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s) are being challenged to incorporate additional automation and/or motion into their machinery to address the flexibility demands of the packaging industry. These flexibility demands can create complex safety issues into the packaging machinery, but rest assured, there are solutions out there that unite flexibility and ensure the safety of machine operators.

Shorter innovation cycles and increased pressure from the competition is driving the need for more flexible packaging machines. This demand has resulted in the decrease of batch build and multi pack runs and now requires your machinery to produce multiple packaging variations from the same machine. This flexibility must include the ability to perform quick product changeovers while maintaining a high level of throughput efficiency.

With flexibility in mind, the question is; “What is the impact to my machine and operator safety?” This reality has driven the industry to look into alternative solutions not only produce their product in a flexible manner, but at a faster rate as well. Automation coupled with motion control has provided the packaging industry with this flexibility. However, an increase in motion requires a robust safety system to monitor and control the additional moving components. For example, these safety systems must meet industry standards, will require multiple axis controllers and other motion control products to allow safety processes to run quickly and precisely. When these products are deployed properly you will achieve the required flexibility and observe an increase in the throughput of your products.

It is vitally important to ensure safety when adding motion into your packaging machines. When looking for motion control products look for: synchronization of a wide range of decentralized drives, motion control to manage the movement of highly dynamic drives, camshafts for a wide range of additional functions, manufacturing at consistent quality and low cost, quick to set up and maximum flexibility, automatic adjustment to product variances and handling and robotics as an integral part of a complete automation solution

Motion control products should include: PLC to control the machine, motion control for optimum movement management on decentralized drives, individual safety solution tailored to your needs and universal, integrated software and tools.

Packaging specific applications, motion control components should include: open for individual requirements, unite safety and standards, have safety integrated within the drive, ensure every law of motion is available, and use real or virtual master axes and tools adapted to suit the task of the packaging machine

Control solution should also be platform-independent: Integrated soft PLC in accordance with IEC 61131-2, fast scan time from < 50us for 1000 instructions No adjustments required to change platform, all of the automation in one project, support for modular structures, large selection of field buses, extensive libraries, motion control, interpolation and OPC Server.

Comprehensive motion control functionality should include: virtual main shaft, cam synchronization, integral “flexible cam”, register control, web tension control, linear and circular interpolation, electronic camshaft and safe motion within the drive.

With the “what to look for” criteria checklist in mind, the next question to be asked is who is a competent and experienced supplier of motion control products?

Pilz offers The PMCprimo drive provides machine’s flexibility by enabling the operator to optimize the synchronization of the individual axes at any time and allows the use of multiple Pilz servo motors that are automated via this drive-integrated control system. Therefore, not requiring additional space for a separate controller and saving valuable space within the control cabinet.

Adding motion to your machine may be as simple as adding light curtains and relays, but it is important to recognize that there are proven motion solutions available that address the industry demands of flexible and ensure the safety of packaging machinery.

#B11.TR3 Risk Assessment

B11.TR3 highlights the need for risk assessment and the role of risk assessment in machinery safety. It also provides manufacturers and users of machinery a method to analyze and reduce risks associated with hazards generated by machines. It also gives an approach to risk assessment and risk reduction that will allow tolerable risk levels to be achieved.

Q. What is "partly completed machinery"?

A. A partly completed assembly"...means an assembly which is almost machinery but which cannot in itself perform a specific application. Partly completed machinery is only intended to be incorporated into or assembled with other machinery...thereby forming machinery to which this Directive applies." A robot without jigs and fixture and a welding head may be considered "partly completed machinery." When assembled together as in a robotic welding cell, the assembly becomes a machine.

Manufacturers of "partly completed machines" are required to follow specific CE marking procedures related to the nature of their machinery as opposed to a completed machine. Placing a CE marking on a partly completed machine is not allowed.

#ISO 13849 Safety of Machinery- Safety-related parts of control systems.

Type B-1 standard. Safety-related parts of control systems (SRP/CS) are parts of the control system assigned to provide safety functions. The Ability of SRP/CS to provide safety functions is allocated one of five performance levels (PL). They are B, 1, 2, 3 and 4. This standard provides a methodology for assessing the PL of the design or performance of a control circuit.

Q. My company buys #CE marked machines and robots and uses them in automated production lines. How does the new #MachineryDirective affect us?

A. It is now very clear that your company creates an assembly of machines or "partly completed machines" and that assembly must be CE market. Particular consideration must be given understanding the risks created by the interaction of machines and to ensuring "...the safety related parts of the control system must apply in a coherent way to the whole of an assembly of machinery and/or partly completed machinery..."

A few standards organizations:

ISO- International Standard Organization 

ISO is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies. ISO has 158 national members out of the 195 countries worldwide. It has three membership categories: Member Bodies, Correspondent Members and Subscriber Members. Member Bodies are national organizations that are considered to be the most representative standards body in each country. They are the only members of ISO that can vote. Correspondent Members are countries that don’t have their own standards organization. These members are informed about ISO’s work, but do not participate in the publishing of standards. Finally, Subscriber Members are countries with small economies. They pay a reduced membership fee and can follow the development of standards. Click here to view the ISO countries.

OSHA- Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA is part of the US Department of Labor. Enforcement is directed by the employer. OSHA is part of the Federal Government. Some states have opted out and have their own Occupational Safety & Health plans, which must meet or exceed the federal requirements. OSHA standards form part of the US Code of Federal Regulations. They are available free online. Many are based on earlier (obsolete) versions of ANSI standards. If you meet the current equivalent ANSI standard you will typically at least meet the intent of the OSHA regulation.

Are #robots equipped with safe motion technology more expensive then traditional robots?

Generally speaking, yes, but it is a value added cost. The features seen with safe motion allow the customers to provide a leaner, safer and more flexible manufacturing environment. This will lead to inevitable cost savings.

Q. What types of manufacturers are currently using safe motion?

A. The technology is just now starting to be seen in the market. Its pioneers are the robot manufacturers and motion (servo drives, frequency drives, etc.) providers.

Q. What challenges or hurdles still need to be addressed in #safemotion?

A. From a product perspective, the challenge becomes managing the amount of data which is induced in the real time interaction between the external (vision based) area sensors and the safe motion control systems. Your control system changes from a discrete (on/off) bitwise communication to that of a dynamic interaction /reaction between the two devices. This will require standardized communication protocols as well as control algorithms in order to make efficient use of the data.

Q. How does the #MachineryDirective apply if I build a mechanical assembly such as a conveyor belt but do not supply or fit the motor?

A. This situation is anticipated in the directive and covered by a definition:' an assembly...missing only the components to connect it to...sources of energy and motion."