Machine safety
⚡ Schneider Electric Machine Safety
Schneider Electric’s Machine Safety ecosystem —rooted in the historic Preventa brand and now unified under Harmony(sensing & actuation) and Modicon(safety logic)—is built around a TÜV‑certified Complete Safety Chain:
Acquire → Monitor → Stop
This ensures hazards are detected, evaluated, and acted upon with the highest reliability, achieving PL e (ISO 13849‑1) and SIL 3 (IEC 62061).
🟦 1) Acquire — Detect Hazards & Human Presence
Frontline safety devices that sense unsafe conditions or operator interaction.
- Emergency Stops
Harmony XB4 / XALK trigger‑action E‑Stops for immediate manual shutdown. - Interlock Switches
Magnetic, coded, or tongue‑operated switches that cut power when guards/doors open. - Light Curtains & Area Scanners
Optical barriers for finger/hand/body detection around hazardous zones. - Two‑Hand Control Stations
Ensures both hands are away from danger before a machine cycle starts.
🟧 2) Monitor & Process — The Safety Brain
Safety‑rated logic devices that evaluate signals using redundant, dual‑channel architecture.
- Harmony XPS Safety Relays
Single‑function or universal relays for E‑Stops, light curtains, and interlocks.
Provide diagnostics to standard PLCs via single‑wire messaging. - Modicon MCM Configurable Safety Controllers
Modular, multi‑function safety logic for medium‑complexity machines.
Programmed via SoSafe Configurable. - Modicon Safety PLCs
High‑end controllers (e.g., Modicon M580 Safety) for distributed plant‑wide safety networks.
🟥 3) Stop — Actuate Safe Shutdown
Final elements that physically or functionally remove energy from the machine.
- TeSys Deca / Giga Contactors
Mechanically linked mirror contacts ensure positive feedback and guaranteed disconnection. - Altivar Drives with STO
VSDs featuring Safe Torque Off, removing motor torque without mechanical contactors.
🏆 Compliance & Certification
Schneider’s safety chain is TÜV‑certified, enabling machine builders to achieve:
- PL e(ISO 13849‑1)
- SIL 3(IEC 62061)
with pre‑validated architectures that reduce engineering time and certification risk.
⭐ One‑line summary
Schneider Electric’s Machine Safety ecosystem delivers a fully certified Acquire–Monitor–Stop chain, combining Harmony sensing, Modicon safety logic, and TeSys/Altivar actuation to achieve world‑class machine protection.
