In the past, the subject of machinery safety has been equated to that of the E-STOP function. The combination of what’s possible in normative terms with new technical solutions for safety tasks and combined application knowledge, increasingly enables productivity and machine availability requirements to also be met. Flexible, dynamic safety can only be achieved with an integrated operation of sensor, control and actuator technology.

The globalisation of design and automation has made it critical for companies to reduce costs and increase quality to stay competitive and, in the electrical engineering field, many are turning to Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) software to strengthen their competitiveness in the marketplace.

A key challenge facing industry today is the development of automation systems that offer data transparency and scalability while satisfying the constant demands for increased performance, additional functionality and cost reduction.

Ian Curtis, safety consultant for Siemens Industry Automation advocates a ‘back to basics’ approach to ensure effective functional safety and says modern safety system tools can help reduce complexity, deliver value and drive risk reduction when implementing a Safety Instrumented System (SIS).

Most people are aware that a UPS is a system that provides battery backup in the event of a mains failure. However UPSs protect sensitive onsite equipment from many other externally-generated electrical disturbance types as well.

After many years of discussion, the new ISO 50001 international standard for energy management systems was finally launched in the middle of 2011, with the promise that it will provide those who adopt it with a framework for achieving on-going reductions in energy usage and carbon footprint.

Gerhard Salge, Technology Manager for ABB’s Medium Voltage Power Products Business Unit, explains the advantages of the new UFES technology for active arc-fault protection

As specialists in cabinet hardware and “Panel Fittings for Every Enclosure” FDB were excited by the possibilities of the SNAP-LINE® range for use in fabricating flat pack enclosures as illustrated by the videos available on FDBs Website and Youtube channel.

As the challenges related to data centre power have grown, UPS technology has evolved to negate these new issues. This article looks at how to choose a UPS with the technology, configuration and capacity needed to optimally protect the data centre it serves.