Turck’s First Hybrid Profinet/Profisafe Block I/O Safety in the Block

Turck’s first hybrid Profinet/Profisafe block I/O is an IP67 I/O module that can be optimally adapted to the particular signal requirement of any machine. Safety or standard? Until now, whoever wanted to fit their machine with a Profinet controller and IP67 Ethernet I/O modules had to make a decision.

In most cases this would result in an excess number of safety and reserve channels. Turck is now offering with the TBPN-L1-FDIO1, a hybrid Profinet safety module that can be optimally adapted to the specific signal requirements in the field. Besides four safety-related inputs and outputs, up to 32 standard inputs or outputs can be provided via IO-Link on the standard side of the module.

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Anyone wanting to manufacture machines in Europe has to comply with the requirements of the Machinery Directive and the national regulations derived from it. Other large economic areas such as the USA or China also have similar standards and laws. Russia and Brazil have also followed suit with the relevant regulations. Essentially all of these standards stipulate that persons operating a machine must be protected from any risks arising from it.

In order to comply with these mandatory safety requirements for personnel protection, machine and plant builders find different solutions on the market for safety technology. The solutions available range from several safety sensors to safety relay modules, right through to the complete automation solution with integrated safety controller for fieldbus-based systems and related drive systems with a safety function. Regardless of which of these safety architectures is selected, they all fulfill the same purpose: In an emergency, i.e. in the event of possible danger to persons, who for example open a guard door or press an emergency stop button, the safety architecture ensures the shutdown of the machine with maximum reliability.

Few IP67 I/O for safety

Safety technology has also been part of fieldbus technology for several years. Nowadays, each fieldbus protocol integrates a safety option. However, in spite of the several different fieldbus systems (including Ethernet) with a safety option, the large majority of components for the control cabinet are designed for IP20. This means that the customers of many manufacturers have to route all signals of safety-related sensors and actuators into control cabinets or subdistribution units and wire them there to I/O modules. Only a few solutions with IP67/69K protection have up to now been available for Profinet/Profisafe.

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