UK-based Fortress Interlocks manufacture premium safety interlock systems for industrial applications. These interlocks are used to help prevent a machine from harming its operator or damaging itself. The interlocks stop the machine whenever certain states occur such as the opening of a door or the push of a button. 

Background

Lately, Fortress Interlocks has seen an increasing demand for interlock solutions which are compatible with PROFIsafe – the safety standard used within PROFINET which is the preferred choice of many car manufacturers, especially in Germany.

“We’ve seen that the interest in integrated safety networks such as PROFIsafe, CIP safety and FSoE has been growing over the past few years,” says Rob Johnson, Senior Electronics Engineer at Fortress Interlocks.

“We wanted to be able to offer a PROFINET solution relatively quickly which is why we turned to HMS. We knew that they had an integrated safety solution for PROFINET and PROFIsafe in place, and their flexibility fitted well with our modular approach. Also, we knew that they had solutions for CIP-safety and FSOE in the roadmap.”

How it works

Fortress Interlocks decided to implement the IXXAT Safe T100 from HMS – an integrated safety module which controls safe I/O signals. The IXXAT Safe T100 works together with the Anybus CompactCom communication module, also from HMS.

The Anybus CompactCom is used to handle the unsafe network communication while safe I/O signals pass through the CompactCom (using the black channel principle) to the IXXAT Safe T100.

The results

The cooperation with HMS has allowed Fortress Interlocks to move into a new technical area quickly with a lower capital investment.

With the capability to offer safe communication with PROFINET and other industrial networks, Fortress Interlocks now has a competitive edge on the market.

What safety looks like. The IXXAT Safe T100 implements the PROFIsafe layer and the safe control of three dual-channel inputs, as well as one dual-channel output. The Anybus CompactCom handles the unsafe communication and routes the safety communication to the IXXAT T100 via the black channel.