How do you program an AB Guardmaster 440G Spartan in Studio 5000?

[tetcie]

Hi All,

On our site, we normally use trapped keys for our safety gates, however, for our newest project, I have been told that we will be using AB Guardmaster 440G Spartan Solenoid Interlock Switch - Power to unlock.

I am fairly new to PLC programming and have never programmed anything safety related, and we haven't used these on site before so its not like I can copy any already written code.

How should I go about programming this? Are there any instructions that should be used for the inputs? - eg: Estop etc.

For the output, the plan is for the operator to press a button on the HMI to be able to open the gate while the system is not in a cycle - so is the rung as simple as: button pressed & system not in cycle --> Output on safety card energized (gate open) - or are there any safety related considerations that need to be made?

Thanks

 

[joseph_e2]

Is the gate lock to protect people, product, or equipment?


If it's to protect product or equipment, then you can program it simply with a regular PLC output.


If it's to protect people, though, you need to do a proper risk assessment to determine the needed performance level. For instance, if you have a high speed cutting spindle or a flywheel that has to be stopped to be safe, you need a safety-rated device to verify zero motion before unlocking the door. For spindles, I've controlled the door unlock coils with a PLC output that's wired through the contacts of a safety-rated back-EMF monitor that makes sure the motor is stopped.



It all comes back to your risk assessment. Ultimately, you're responsible to make the machine safe. I suggest you bring in an expert to consult on this.