The UE4400 Safety Network Controller: DeviceNet Safety on the march

In October 2002 the companies Rockwell Automation, Omron and SICK presented the safety specification they had developed to the Open DeviceNet Vendor Association (ODVA). The aim of this collaboration was and remains the development of hardware and software components that use DeviceNet SafetyTM as their protocol. The UE 4470 Safety Network Controller is one of the first results on the path towards distributed logic in safe networks.

The UE 44070 Safety Network Controller integrates any combination of safety sensors and actuators locally and decentrally in DeviceNet SafetyTM networks. Status, diagnostic and error messages can be generated and processed in situ or via the network. Integrated and certified logic and application-specific function blocks (such as automatic reset, enabling switches or two-hand control units) permit the solution of simple and more complex safety tasks, allowing the realisation of consistent machine safeguarding concepts, such as those relevant for packaging machines or machine tools, robot cells and conveyor systems.

Equal partners with differing emphases

With Rockwell Automation, Omron and SICK, three partners who are leaders in their market segments with leading market positions in the USA, Asia and Europe, have united to develop a safety specification. Each company contributes specific expertise: Rockwell Automation and Omron provide control system, programming and network technologies, while SICK provides expertise in safety applications and technology. Even if SICK has deliberately integrated a lot of expertise in the development of products such as the UE 4470, DeviceNet SafetyTM is seen as a technology on a par with Profibus PROFISafe and Asi AS-Interface Safety at Work, with which the flexible safety automation of the future will be possible.