"Our expanded safety I/O portfolio gives designers more options when it comes to meeting safety requirements," said Christof Dörge, Commercial Engineer A&S at Rockwell Automation. "All Allen-Bradley brand I/O modules offer a choice of safety options. The new modules are characterized by shorter safety response times, more diagnostic functions and improved communication. This optimizes the competitiveness of the machines."

The new security modules also simplify the design process. For example, the data structure and the graphical user interface are largely identical. These advantages in terms of programming and operation shorten the design time, enable the reuse of code and accelerate the familiarization of developers.

The new safety I/O modules in detail:

The Allen-Bradley Compact 5000 safety I/O modules provide local and remote safety I/O for the Compact GuardLogix 5380 safety controller and remote safety I/O for the GuardLogix 5580 safety controller. According to the company, the modules are characterized by shorter safety response times, help developers to reduce costs and provide smaller and simpler machines. The modules also offer additional diagnostic functions that allow users to detect errors and determine the cause.

The Allen-Bradley ControlLogix CIP Safety I/O Modules provide local safety I/O for GuardLogix 5580 controllers in larger applications where a high-density I/O solution is required. These chassis modules simplify configuration and reduce cabinet space requirements by eliminating the need for an adapter. The modules are also suitable for decentralized safety I/O.

The Allen-Bradley Flex 5000 safety I/O modules are ideal for applications requiring field connectivity with vertical and horizontal mounting. The distributed I/O modules can operate in extreme environmental conditions and connect directly to copper and fiber optic networks. They also support a wide range of network topologies, including redundant star networks via the Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP) and extended communication via a 1 Gigabit EtherNet/IP connection. The Flex 5000 platform offers decentralized safety I/O for the Compact GuardLogix 5380 and GuardLogix 5580 controllers.

All seven new safety I/O modules are TÜV-certified for applications up to SIL 3 and PLe, Cat. 4. All modules are optionally available with a protective coating and are therefore resistant to environmental influences.