OMRON CORPORATION : OMRON Releases New NX Series Safety Control … – 4

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Headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, OMRON Corporation is a global leader in the field of automation. Established in 1933, Omron has more than 35,000 employees in over 35 countries working to provide products and services to customers in a variety of fields including industrial automation, electronic components, social systems, healthcare, and the environment. The company has regional head offices in Singapore (Asia Pacific), Beijing (Greater China), Amsterdam (Europe, Africa, and the Middle East), Chicago (the Americas), Gurgaon (India), and Sao Paulo (Brazil).
For more information, visit OMRON’s website at http://www.omron.com/

Kyoto, Japan — OMRON Corporation (TSE: 6645, ADR: OMRNY) today announced the release in June of its new NX series safety control units.

• EtherCAT slave terminal NX series safety control units
     Safety CPU unit        NX-SL3300
     Safety input units      NX-SIH400 / NX-SID800
     Safety output units    NX-SOH200 / NX-SOD400

The products are integrated in the Sysmac automation platform, launched in July 2011. This is a new EtherCAT-compatible modular I/O system that allows motion, standard I/O, and safety control to be integrated into machine control systems using NJ series machine automation controller.
The NX series safety control units offer simple and flexible design for high-speed, high-precision motion control and safety control in an integrated engineering environment when used in conjunction with the NJ series machine automation controller and the automation software Sysmac Studio. This functionality contributes to productivity improvements and assurance of safety conforming to international standards and rules.

Machine designers are now required to design globally competitive production machinery, so they must design motion and safety control simultaneously, while increasing their knowledge of machine design in order to conform to international safety standards, resulting in a heavy workload. Moreover, it is expected that machine downtime can be minimized by reducing the amount of machine design work, safety verification work, and maintenance work.
Omron’s new NX series safety control units were designed to meet these needs.

Features

1. Reducing machine and safety design work
   • The safety control units support Safety over EtherCAT*2 protocol. This support realizes One Connection, mixing safety control data and standard machine control data (included motion) in one EtherCAT network.
   • EtherCAT slaves with the same modular design as the standard NX I/O units for sequence control allow flexible connection to all devices: safety CPU units, safety I/O units, and standard I/O units. This configuration simplifies flexible system design to meet variable end-user specifications.
   • The safety input unit can be directly connected to safety sensors and safety switches which can detect workers in machine areas, and the safety output unit to servo drives and inverters with safety functions. This connection reduces the work required for safety device selection and connectivity testing. If Omron’s safety devices are used for inputs, logic, and outputs, it is easy to evaluate the performance level (PL*3).
   • The automation software Sysmac Studio now includes programming for safety control, which enables programming integrated with sequence and motion control. Previously, safety control had to be designed separately from sequence and motion control through the design cycles only for safety including design, verification, debugging, test operation, startup, improvement, and addition of functions. Now the Sysmac Studio enables the same operability and GUI*4 as those of sequence and machine control design to be used for safety control design, which simplifies the design process.
   • The automation software Sysmac Studio supporting IEC 61131-3 programming language (function block diagram), as recommended by PLCopen, can be used all over the world. This usage drastically reduces the time required for designers to master design procedures and programming rules, and it simplifies the sharing of programs globally.
   • Modular structures can be built up for each program when designing safety control. The modularized safety programs can be reused for other designs, and the amount of device verification work required for validation of the entire system can be reduced.
   • Programming with variables is used for safety design. The global variables with easy-to-understand names help error free programming when designing complex interfaces among the control components such as I/O devices, motion devices, and safety devices.
2. Minimizing machine downtime by reducing maintenance work
   • Unified troubleshooting in the automation software Sysmac Studio is now available for the safety units. Because safety system controls the power circuit for machine control, an error in safety system results in stopping production. Unified troubleshooting in the Sysmac studio provides the information required for maintenance: when, which unit, and why operation stopped, as well as how to resolve the error. This troubleshooting minimizes machine downtime.
   • A safety I/O unit can be removed and added without a computer or a tool. Because the unit parameters are automatically set by the ACR*5 function, reduced system downtime contributes to improved productivity.
3. Downsizing the system and the control panel with compact units
   • The width of the safety I/O unit is 12 mm. The required width of the new unit is reduced by approximately 70% compared to Omron’s existing remote I/Os*6 for EtherCAT with terminal blocks, which reduces the size of the system and the control panel.

Specifications

The safety control units meet PLe and safety category 4 according to EN ISO 13849-1 and SIL 3 according to IEC 61508.

Safety input unit

Model

NX-SIH400

NX-SID800

Number of safety input points

4 points

8 points

Number of test output points

2 points

2 points

Internal I/O common

PNP (sinking inputs)

OMRON special safety input devices*

Can be connected.*

Cannot be connected.

Dimensions

12(W) x 100(H) x 71(D)

*OMRON special safety input devices (Non-contact Door Switches, Safety Mat, Safety Edges and so on) can be connected directly without a special controller.

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Seoul seeks to export nuclear safety devices, technology

Seoul seeks to export nuclear safety devices, technology | GlobalPost

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SEOUL, June 17 (Yonhap) — In addition to its nuclear power plants, the country is seeking to export its technologies and devices for safety of nuclear reactors, a move especially aimed at promoting exports by the country’s small- and medium-sized firms, the government said Monday.

Organized by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, three local manufacturers of nuclear safety devices, such as portable radiation detection kits, will stage product promotion events in Thailand and Singapore this week.

To further promote nuclear cooperation with the South Asian countries, the Korea Nuclear International Cooperation Foundation will sign two separate agreements on cooperation with Thailand’s leading bio-firm Pondpol Group and Singapore’s Biomedia Holdings Pte. Ltd., the ministry said.

“The signing of the agreements is expected to contribute to an expansion of the market in Southeast Asia for the country’s nuclear technologies and companies,” it said in a press release.

The ministry said the Thailand market was especially expected to show significant growth in recent years as it plans to set up a nationwide radiation detection system while also building storage units for spent nuclear fuel.

“The ministry will continue to offer various opportunities for overseas expansion for our small- and medium-sized firms by hosting overseas business fairs and product exhibition events,” it said.

All rights reserved by Yonhap News Agency

Copyright Yonhap News Agency, 2013. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/yonhap-news-agency/130617/seoul-seeks-export-nuclear-safety-devices-technology

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Beijing Tries Safety Nets for Manholes

Citing the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and drivers, Beijing is installing safety nets and pop-up warning posts to warn of open manholes.

Recent fatalities in Hunan Province and last year’s dangerous flood in Beijing have prompted the test installation of 1,000 manhole safety devices in the capital, reported The Beijinger. If they are a success, they will be deployed throughout the city.
 
Although theft of the heavy metal covers has diminished, there were an estimated 240,000 stolen in 2004, probably for resale as scrap metal, The Beijinger said the dangers still remain from open man holes hidden under Beijing’s frequent flood waters and maintenance workers leaving manholes exposed with no safety barricades.

The test devices include an activation mechanism in the manhole opening, plus the safety netting and a large, bright red and yellow warning pipe which both swing into position when the cover is removed. The net would catch unwary pedestrians or cyclists who might not see the hole, and the pipe would extend above flood waters to mark the position of the manhole.

A young woman died in Hunan Province in March when she was swept into the drainage system after falling into an open manhole obscured by rainwater. A toddler from the same province died after falling into an open manhole, according to Shanghaiist, a news site. 

During last years’ historic Beijing flood, the pressure of the flood water in Beijing’s drainage system blew off many manhole covers, while others were removed by municipal crews to drain the water rushing in the streets. Open manholes made transportation of any kind in parts of the city treacherous. Police and city maintenance staff were stationed at open manholes to direct traffic away from them. 

“All the manholes had vanished because the water was sitting on top of them. It looked very dangerous and very difficult to find where these holes were,� said Tom Smith, a British student in Beijing, telling the BBC of his experience during the flood. 
 
A British businessman who was also in Beijing at the time told BBC of seeing a woman swept by the floodwaters and trapped in a manhole: “Some 20-30 people had surrounded her but only a few could help,� he told the BBC. “It didn’t look good at first as the water continued to flow over her head, but after about five minutes they pulled her free.�

TO THE EDITOR: Bill regarding red light cameras represents violation of …

A2 Journal Blog

Welcome to Inside the Newsroom at A2 Journal, a blog written by the newspaper’s staff at A2 Journal, a new, weekly, community newspaper covering Ann Arbor. We will include photo galleries, videos and links, and encourage readers to post their comments.

New TxDOT safety devices on area roads

Texas drivers may soon be seeing changes on the road. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is rolling out three new safety devices that will be incorporated throughout the state in the coming months.

One of these changes is an Automated Flagger Assistance Device, aimed at keeping construction workers off the street.

“We have three sets of them in the district already,” said Paul Braun, the TxDOT spokesperson in Amarillo.

He told us the automatic flagger will be operated by a construction worker using a remote control. The device will signal drivers with different signs and motions when they are approaching a construction site.

To further improve the safety in construction zones, temporary rumble strips will be used. Braun described them as rubber strips, similar to small speed bumps. There purpose is to alert drivers when they are approaching road work.

Adjustments to traffic signals is the final change drivers may soon be seeing. A flashing yellow arrow may be added to some street lights. The arrow would help indicate that traffic is allowed to turn left but only after yielding to oncoming traffic.

Jerry Bird, the Amarillo Traffic Engineer, told us there are no immediate plans to start using these lights, but it is a possibility in the future.

“If we have a lot of accidents where people are making bad selections with regard to the gap in the opposing traffic on the left turn movement, then it’s possible we would swap out the five lens head for the four lens head at that location,” he said.

Braun told us the changes will help improve the safety on the roads for drivers and construction workers all across the state.

Study Shows Some Car Safety Devices May Do More Harm Than Good

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The new high-tech dashboards featured in many cars on the road may be more of a hindrance than a help. That’s what a new AAA study discovered.

Gigi Barnett explains how.

Those fancy high-tech dashboards that make phone calls, send voice-driven text messages and link up smart phone apps are called “infotainment” dashes. Automakers bill them as safety devices in cars, but a new AAA study released this week found otherwise.

“They may be more convenient but they’re not safer,” said Ragina Averella, AAA.

Averella says that kind of cutting-edge technology at the fingertips of drivers is a greater distraction than just talking on a hand-held device.

AAA teamed up with researchers at the University of Utah. They found the “infotainment” dashboards stalled reaction times of drivers and that increases the chance of an accident.

“Some of these in-vehicle technologies that you think are making it safer because your hands are on the wheel…many studies, even prior to this, suggest that hands-free is not risk-free,” Averella said.

And the voice-to-text features were the most dangerous.

Some drivers say hte best way to stay safe on the road is to steer clear of distractions on the dashboard.

“When you look down, you take your eyes off the road. That second can cause you to do harm to someone,” said driver John Thomas.

Maryland will soon join Washington DC in making the use of a hand-held device a primary offense. That means an officer will not need another reason to pull you over and ticket you. That law goes into effect on October 1.

Texting while driving is already a primary offense in Maryland.

Congresswoman Jackson Lee to introduce the Gun Storage and Safety Devices …

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a member of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, released the following statement in response to the six-month anniversary of the senseless shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School:

“Over 1 million people have been killed with guns in the United States since 1968. U.S. homicide rates are 6.9 times higher than rates in 22 other populous high-income countries combined, despite similar non-lethal crime and violence rates. Most gun owners are responsible and law-abiding, and they use their guns safely. We must begin discussing common-sense steps we can take right now to combat gun violence.

“Reversing the disturbing trends of youth violence is going to take the concerted, sustained effort, collaboration and leadership of members of Congress, the President, school boards and officials, local governments and law enforcement, and parents across this nation. I commend the President for convening a Gun Violence Task Force, and Vice President Biden for his outstanding leadership. The President and Vice President have developed and issued policy recommendations, and as members of Congress, we need to act upon them. That is why I will be introducing the ‘Gun Storage and Safety Devices for All Firearms Act of 2013.’ This legislation will make it unlawful for any licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer to sell, transfer, or deliver any firearm to any person (other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer) unless the transferee is provided with a secure gun storage or safety device. Penalties for violation include license suspension or revocation and civil fine of up to $10,000.

“Six months later the community in Newtown, Connecticut – along with the rest of the country — is still reeling from the inconceivable tragedy that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary on Dec. 14, 2012; our hearts still ache with sadness and disbelief for the families and loved ones of the children and women who lost their lives in this senseless act of violence. In my district soon after that, the Lone Star College community was hit with gun violence and it is safe to say that America is sick and tired of being sick and tired of gun violence. Although the shooting on the Lone Star campus was not as deadly and tragic as that which occurred in Colorado last summer or in Newtown — the brazenness of the attack was shocking to me and I’m sure to most of you. As a parent, you ask yourself, if I send my kid to college to learn, grow, and become a better person, and she is still subject to random violence — it must be a sad day at the Little Red School House.

“Ironically, I learned of the shooting here in Houston while I was speaking in the Capitol to a packed audience about the effect of prevention programs on youth violence. As the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Children’s Caucus and a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, I have listened far too often to the tragic testimony of individuals who have survived or lost loved ones as a result of gun violence.

“In America, there exists a pernicious culture of violence; a subculture that with today’s technologically advanced weaponry is far more dangerous to public safety than ever before. At no point in our nation’s history has a single human been more capable of inflicting massive death and misery and our society is producing more individuals who wish to employ such means to carry out their ill intentions.

“Far too often, the tool of choice for would-be killers is a firearm. Moreover, military-style assault weapons with high-capacity magazines are not just in the hands of our men and women in the armed services; they on our streets. Many of them are in the wrong hands, and end up being the highly efficient tools of criminals and mass murderers.

“We must take on this challenge with the recognition that changing the pervasive culture of violence will not happen overnight. While we can act now and pass legislation to ameliorate some of causes of the youth violence epidemic, this problem is larger than our laws. That is why we must make an enduring commitment to our youth. We must work tirelessly to create an environment in this country that lifts the psychological burden of violence off the shoulders of our kids.”

Thames Water adds cycle safety devices to trucks

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LCC says devices aimed at making cyclists safer around lorries may actually …

Cement lorry in London © Simon MacMichael.jpg

London Cycling Campaign (LCC) says local authorities and transport fleet operators should not install technology aimed at improving the safety of cyclists around London until a series of questions regarding how the systems operate in practice have been satisfied, amid fears that they could actually increase the risk to cyclists.

LCC says that while its Safer Lorries, Safer Cycling is making progress in getting London boroughs to sign up to use only highly trained drivers and vehicles with specific safety equipment, there are concerns about a rush of products coming to the market.

It’s unsurprising that there is so much interest in developing such devices, with more people cycling and the issue of cycle safety having risen up the political agenda, including a strong focus on ensuring how to keep riders safe when they are sharing the road with large vehicles – according to LCC, lorries make up 5 per cent of the capital’s traffic, but account for half of cyclist deaths there.

With more councils signing up to LCC’s Safer Lorries, Safer Cycling pledge and therefore committing that their own vehicles, and those of any contractors or subcontractors they use also adhere to those standards, its an area that is bound to prove attractive for companies able to get products on sale that meet that need.

LCC however fears that some of those products may actually have a detrimental effect on the safety of riders, and those concerns are outlined in a post on the LCC website by the organisation’s campaigns officer Charlie Lloyd, himself a former lorry driver and now its expert on reducing road safety.

“Because of the media attention accorded to lorry fatalities and our own high-profile around these events,” he writes, “it’s not surprising that a week rarely goes by when we aren’t contacted about another device aimed at reducing the casualty count.

“A few of these are wacky ideas, but most have some merit. Very few get taken beyond the prototype stage into production.”

Lloyd reveals that several devices have been launched which use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags placed on bicycles, which relay information to a receiver’s cab to warn of the presence of cyclists, and how LCC reviewed one of those systems, Cycle Alert, last year, which it adds has now been launched to market.

Ahead of its launch earlier this year, Cycle Alert’s co-founder, Peter Le Masurier, said: “Many systems have been designed for HGV’s, so that drivers can be more aware of cyclists close to their vehicle.

“But everybody needs to take responsibility for their own safety on the road.

“Cycle Alert empowers cyclists to make themselves more obvious to HGV drivers – no mean feat when you consider the relative size difference – and allows HGV drivers to protect themselves from the devastating impact of an accident.

“In fact I was inspired to develop this technology when I heard an interview with a truck driver who had been involved in an accident with a cyclist – I recognised then that not one but two families are left devastated by such incidents.”

In our article about the launch of the product, we noted that while it was an interesting concept, without extensive uptake from haulage operators and more importantly cyclists themselves, with compulsion presumably not an option, it was hard to see how it could significantly increase safety.

LCC has similar concerns, with Lloyd pointing out that it expressed concerns about Cycle Alert in its review, saying, “The main problem with this device appears to be the logistics of installing devices on potentially millions of bikes in the capital and the UK.”

Another issue raised by LCC is the way in which such devices are marketed, such as Cycle Safety Shield, currently being tested at the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) in Berkshire, with the company hoping to install TFID tags on Barclays Cycle Hire bikes and which is touted as enabling drivers to “concentrate on driving and not be continuously checking for cyclists.”

LCC says: “We are deeply sceptical this approach will reduce danger on London streets. The designers of many of these devices claim that if they can stop even one cyclist death a year it will be worth it. Our fear is that these systems actually increase risk by giving drivers and cyclists a false sense of security.

“We have seven burning questions about how these systems work in practice, and have told the TRL testing team of the potential pitfalls,” it adds. “Before any system is adopted for use by companies or governments then we must have answers to these questions:

• How many of the 1-2 million bikes in London need to fit a tag before a lorry driver can be sure he’ll not put a cyclist in danger?

• What happens if drivers begin to rely on a system that only shows a minority of cyclists?

• Even if the system notifies a driver to the presence of one cyclist, how will they know about any other other bikes without tags in the immediate vicinity?

• If the alarm goes off at a three junctions in a row and is silent at the fourth, should a driver assume there are no bikes in the immediate vicinity?

• Is it a failsafe system? How will the lorry know if the battery in a bike’s tag has died?

• How will the cyclist know that the lorry’s system is turned on and working?

• Will cyclists with the device fitted assume that it’s safe to go up the left side of any lorry?

• If drivers stop looking out for cyclists, will this have a detrimental effect on pedestrian safety? (as LCC points out, many more pedestrians than cyclists are killed by lorries most years in London).

LCC adds: “In recent years we, Transport for London, the police, GLA and many councils and much of the transport industry have made great progress changing the way the transport industry operates. Our aim has been to introduce a ‘safety culture’ so drivers and managers work together to identify risk and work out how to reduce them.

“This safety culture might include safety devices, but a key requirement is better driver training and awareness. Any device that gives a sense of security without actually delivering it for the majority of cyclists and all the pedestrians in London is likely to increase risk.

“We urge all councils and transport operators not to adopt these systems until there are convincing answers to these important questions,” it concludes.

Penn State Extension: The key to lawn mower safety is you

Even though we are well into the lawn mowing season it is worthwhile to review the hazards associated lawn mowers and their safe operation. Each year thousands of injuries are caused by power lawn mowers. Many of these accidents involve children under the age of five years old, and usually result in grotesque injury and/or the loss of fingers, toes, limbs, or eyes.

The whirling metal piece below the mower deck is an inexpensive and effective method of shearing a variety of vegetation. However, approximately 70 percent of all lawn mower accidents are caused by blade contact. A person can come in contact with the blade by slipping under the mower deck, or reaching into the discharge chute. Lawn mower blades typically

turn at 3,000 to 3,600 revolutions per minute, or 50 to 60 revolutions per second. Since the blade has two cutting edges, an object in line with the blade for only one second can be struck as many as 120 times. The intensity of the damage from a blade rotating under these conditions is roughly equivalent to a 1.2 pound missile traveling at 232 miles per hour. Bones coming in contact with the mower blade are typically crushed and the wound filled with dirt and grass, making it difficult for a surgeon to repair.

Another major cause of lawn mower accidents are objects thrown from the mower. Stones, sticks, and other debris can be launched from the discharge chute with enough force to puncture the skin, or eyes, and cause serious injury.

Over the past few decades, manufacturers have – by choice or mandate – made design changes, such as improved guarding and “dead-man brakes,” to reduce the danger of lawn mowers. Dead-man brakes are designed to stop blade rotation in three seconds or less if the operator lets go of the push handle, or gets off the seat of a riding mower. However, some operators see these devices as a nuisance and by-pass them using wire or tape. Guards and deflectors are in place to reduce the chance of burns from hot surfaces and direct foreign objects, such as sticks and stones, thrown from the discharge chute to the ground. Guards and deflectors should never be removed to allow better maneuverability. These safety devices can greatly reduce the hazards associated with power mowers and must be left in place and operable to be effective. A temporary inconvenience can prevent permanent injury.

Many hazards can be reduced by the operator. The most effective way to avoid injury is to recognize the hazards present, and learn how to operate the machine properly. The owner’s manual and your local dealer are good sources of information for operation and maintenance.

Before starting to mow the lawn, the operator should: