BERNSTEIN expands SMART Safety System

Integrating mechanical safety switches in an electronic series connection and even making them Industry 4.0-capable by providing diagnostic data - BERNSTEIN already offers its customers the solution to this requirement with a suitable connection box, which the company has now thought through further: The result is a smart T-adapter, a particularly small connection box for use in control cabinets and control enclosures. In order to quickly identify the status of the smart T-adapter as well as the connected mechanical switch, clearly visible LEDs are also integrated on the front and back, which makes troubleshooting considerably faster.

But this is not the only advantage for customers, as Marcus Scholz, Product Manager at BERNSTEIN AG, explains: "As the T-adapter and connection box 'merge' into just one device, components can be saved. This has a positive effect on the space available, the connection time and, of course, the costs."

If a machine or system is equipped with BERNSTEIN SRF safety sensors and/or SEU emergency stop devices, a series-connectable variant is very often selected in order to reduce the wiring effort and costs. However, particularly in connection with the retrofit of older systems, it is important to integrate the mechanical emergency stop devices that are often still present into the series connection. The smart T-adapter from BERNSTEIN solves this dilemma: it enables series connection to reduce the number of safety relays without having to comply with TR24119 (fault masking). "Quite incidentally, it also makes the mechanical switch DCD capable. This means that, like the SRF sensors and emergency stop devices of the SEU series, diagnostic data is made available, enabling rapid commissioning and troubleshooting. In this way, even a mechanical switch becomes Industry 4.0 capable," says Marcus Scholz.

The family-owned company presented its first smart safety system at an early stage with its SRF safety sensor, SEU emergency stop and SCR DI programmable safety evaluation. During development, particular emphasis was placed on the patented DCD diagnostic system, which provides comprehensive data of each connected device. BERNSTEIN has consistently taken this "SMART Safety System" for the complete safeguarding of machines and systems a step further and added further components. "We see ourselves as a solution provider and provide our customers with scalable electronic safety solutions," says Marcus Scholz.