Industrial network control panel designers face significant challenges in managing electromagnetic interference (EMI) and ensuring the safety of operators in increasingly compact devices. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully plan and select components to strike a balance between small footprint and operational and regulatory requirements.
Safety is a critical requirement. However, the security requirements for control panels may vary in different locations within industrial networks. Compared to places with better environments, hazardous environments have stricter requirements for safety. This requires network designers to deploy various security solutions.
Similarly, in order to ensure environmental tolerance and EMI control, equipment must be designated and selected based on its mechanical, protective, climate/chemical, and electromagnetic (M.I.C.E.) attribute levels, while fully considering the specific requirements of the device. This includes control panel wiring schemes, such as cable trays. This type of cable tray can protect sensitive circuits, shield noise emission interference, achieve a noise reduction effect of up to 20 dB, and reduce noise voltage by 90%.
In addition, different devices require different levels of protection (IP rating). Compact LED lights are commonly used for general lighting and clearly indicate the status of machines and control panels.
This article will explore the various control panel products provided by Panduit and Banner Engineering for both internal and external control panels. Designers can use these products to optimize control panel configuration, minimize panel size, and simplify integration without compromising performance.
Network designers require a range of security solutions. Banner Engineering's SC10 and XS26-2 safety controllers fully meet the requirements of ISO 13849-1 and IEC 61508 standards with their support for programmable industrial system safety functions. Both controllers have been optimized for different applications.
The important differences between SC10 and XS26-2 security controllers are scalability, I/O points, and communication options. SC10 has a compact structure and high cost-effectiveness, making it an ideal choice for small applications, while XS26-2 is an expandable system that provides protection for operators and more complex machines.
The SC10 series safety controller has a compact structure and can replace two or more safety relay modules in narrow spaces. Although the appearance of this series is small, it has powerful functions. The Serial Diagnostic Function (ISD) can provide detailed status and performance data for up to 70 cascaded safety devices. These data can be accessed through human-machine interfaces (HMI), programmable logic controllers (PLC), and other similar devices, and can also be sent to the cloud.
The SC10 controller is very flexible and supports multiple safety devices. Using a personal computer (PC), drag and drop configuration can be performed in an icon based programming interface, accelerating the speed of setup and continuous management. In addition, external storage cards can be used to configure and program them without a computer.
These controllers have a sufficient number of I/O, including two safety relay outputs rated at 6 A, and three sets of independently controlled normally open (N.O.) contacts. Among its ten inputs, four can be configured as non secure outputs. By using Banner's Automatic Terminal Optimization (ATO) feature, users can convert standard inputs into non safe outputs and vice versa, thereby increasing the number of available inputs from 10 to 14.
The connectivity function is another major advantage of the SC10 controller. The industrial Ethernet interface can support 256 virtual non secure state outputs and 80 virtual non secure inputs. These security controllers also offer Ethernet/IP, PROFINET, and Modbus/TCP protocols to connect various devices.