How Safety Solutions Support Sustainable Manufacturing

Turning Today's Challenges into Bottom-Line Advantages

With the severe economic challenges global manufacturers face today, every program and initiative considered gets a second, closer look–one that must pass muster on the balance sheet. In this environment, some are asking whether the recent rise of manufacturing sustainability programs can survive the current crisis for the long term. An analysis proves the answer to be yes, and one of the more interesting aspects of that analysis is how safety, once considered more of a cost than a value, is proving to be an integral part of sustainable manufacturing.

“When it first started out, sustainability was a regulatory-driven issue,” says Bob Ruff, senior vice president, control products and solutions at Rockwell Automation. “But now, infrastructures around the world can't keep up with the demand that's put on them.” There are not enough power plants. Water is an issue. When it comes to putting waste back into the stream, there is severely limited space.

“I think this will put sufficient pressure on the business community to keep sustainability as a forefront issue for a long time to come,” Ruff continues. “And the pressures that businesses are under from a profitability standpoint will not lighten up. In this increasingly competitive and difficult environment, sustainable production will help drive the bottom line”... Read more

Functional Safety Comes of Age

Philosophical Shift Seen Among End Users and OEMs

When Michael Miller, business development manager for safety business at Rockwell Automation, explains what functional safety is, he drills the idea into his audience. “An excellent example of how functional safety has developed in industry is a regular drill,” he explains.

Manufacturers added a third prong, which was supposed to be grounded, so if there were ever a short, the user wouldn't get electrocuted. The problem was, 30 years ago, the overwhelming percentage of receptacles was two pronged. So users cut the third prong off. “That's an example of how safety was added, but because of circumstances, a good idea went bad,” says Miller. “So let's just go back a decade”... Read more

PODCAST

Gary Mintchell, Editor in Chief, talks with Mike Miller, Business Development Manager with Rockwell Automation, about new machine safety standards effective Dec. 29, 2009. Functional safety is defined. EN ISO 13849 and IEC 62061 which replace EN 954 are explained. The impact of these standards and eventual benefits for machine builders and end users alike are also discussed.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

WEBCAST

Presenting on the Webcast is John Christiansen, Automation Manager at Gram Equipment, who will summarize the integrated safety solution. Also presenting is Derek Jones, the Safety Business Development Manager at Rockwell Automation, who will present an overview of the Functional Safety standards.

To view On-Demand webcast, click here.