SAFEGRID - the certified startup product for simplest safety functions

The market for safe small controls and drives currently experiences a large demand. Many manufacturers must "integrate safety into their devices", but do not want to use large freely programmable systems for this purpose. Instead, small and clear solutions as simple, configurable safety functionalities are used.

Important criterion: The safe control must be ready for the market within one year, including associated tools!

SAFEGRID: Introduction to modern safety technology

SAFEGRID - safe parameterization of your small safety control

SAFEGRID is the safe device parameterization tool on the PC for safe switching devices and safe small controls, certified according to IEC 61508 SIL3.

With SAFEGRID, the preprogrammed safety functions, "stored" in the device, can be configured by the end user. By defining given parameters, your small control is adapted to its respective use.

The SAFEGRID features at a glance

• Safe data handling: You can be sure that your parameter data are stored correctly. 
• SAFEGRID guarantees safe communication with the target system via a non-safe communication channel (e.g. TCP/IP). 
• Open XML interfaces for manufacturer and user-specific configuration and extension of SAFEGRID. The parameter list can also be extended. 
• Manufacturer-specific versions must not be removed again due to certification of SAFEGRID according to IEC 61508 SIL3 and the used configuration mechanism (via XML data). 
• Fully automatic verification of the data sent to the target system (no manual read back and comparison of the parameter data required). 
• Comfortable input functions with predefined value ranges or selection fields. 
• Import and export functions for individual parameters or complete parameter sets allow the easy reuse of data for parameterizing further safe devices, e.g. in the field of series mechanical engineering. 
• Reading back parameters from the safe device.
• Integrated print and undo functionalities.

SAFEGRID: Independent, configurable and flexible

SAFEGRID is independent of hardware and implementation and thus suited to any small control.

You can individually configure the content of "your" SAFEGRID via the open XML interface and thus adapt the tool to your specific manufacturer requirements. As the stored parameter list is not hard coded, extensions can easily be added to the tool.

Our certification - your monetary advantage

Based on SAFEGRID, you can develop your own new versions of the tool without having to have them certified again.

There are two reasons for this:

• SAFEGRID itself is already certified by TÜV Rheinland according to IEC 61508 SIL3.
• The user-specific configuration of SAFEGRID by you as control manufacturer is carried out via XML data.

These two facts guarantee that you are able without any assistance to adapt and extend SAFEGRID to your requirements and thus easily develop your equally safe configuration tool.

The SAFEGRID technology enables maximum flexibility for tool manufacturers and saves a lot of time and money.

Example of application: SAFEGRID involves safety in drives

The safe parameterization tool SAFEGRID supports integrated safety solutions in the field of motion in an outstanding way. In future, these solutions will be optionally provided as integral part of a drive system, e.g. as a pluggable board or as stand-alone pluggable module. They offer considerably more safety functionality than the state of the art. Today, mostly a safe Stop/Halt is realized on the basis of a redundant hardware solution in the drive controller. SAFEGRID can be integrated trouble-free as .NET control or WIN32 application into an existing software environment for configuring and commissioning a drive family.

Within SAFEGRID, the user can choose a safety function (e.g. safe direction of rotation or safe reduced speed of rotation) and then perform the according parameterization of the safe inputs and outputs.

Due to an innovative safety concept, SAFEGRID generates a set of parameters (binary file) according to IEC 61508 SIL 3 which is then transferred to the safety module via the existing communication interface of the drive system between PC and drive controller. Thanks to this concept, no subsequent upload with an explicit acknowledgement of the parameter set on the PC is necessary.

The parameter set then activates the certified safety function in the safety module, implemented by the drive manufacturer. The user interface and contents of SAFEGRID can be defined via an XML file. This provides the possibility to expand SAFEGRID by further safety functions or language versions - independent of KW-Software.