Mosaic - The safety controller that makes the difference

Quick setup, total integration of all safety functions and strict compliance with machine regulations: in addition to these traditional strong points, the Mosaic Safety Controller also allows to build and upgrade installations easily.

Today the design and implementation of a safety system for an automated line must also allow for future expansion or adjustment of the project, which may affect single machines as much as entire parts of the system.

The Mosaic solution developed by ReeR responds to this request: it is modular, configurable and capable of managing all system’s safety functions. Furthermore, it enables designing safety systems with the knowledge that they can be expanded, integrated, or adjusted at a later time.

Mosaic can manage safety sensors and signals such as

Light curtains, photocells, laser scanners, emergency stops, electromechanical switches, guard-lock safety door switches, magnetic switches, RFID switches, safety mats and edges, two-hands controls, hand grip switches, encoders and proximities for safety speed control, analogue sensors (i.e. loading cells, pressure switches, temperature measurement, flow and level measurement, etc.).

Advantages

• Reducing the number of devices and wiring and, therefore, the overall size of the project
• Speeding-up the control panel construction
• Allowing a tamper-proof system configuration
• Easy configuration through a graphic interface
• No more laborious wiring needed as with traditional solutions
• A lower number of electromechanical components also means a better Performance Level and, therefore, a higher Safety Level
• The project report provides the actual values of PFH, DCavg and MTTFd according to EN 13849-1 and EN 62061

Depending on the machine complexity, the system can be composed by a single Master Unit in stand-alone configuration (8 digital inputs, 2 inputs for Start/Restart interlock and EDM, 2 pairs OSSD safety outputs, 2 status outputs, 4 test outputs) or, by the Master Unit and up to 14 expansion modules, reaching its maximum capabilities with: 128 Digital inputs, 32 Fieldbus inputs, 32 Safety outputs, 48 Status outputs, 128 MSD operators, 48 Timers, 8 Muting operators, 8 Safety guard lock operators and 32 Probes.

The MB communication expansion units allow Mosaic to interface with the most common industrial fieldbuses. The MCT interfaces allow the use of just one cable for the de-centralization of the expansion modules, making it a suitable solution for linking multiple machines along a production line. 

Analogue inputs expansion units

The new MA modules allows the connection of analogue sensors such as load cells, pressure switches, temperature measurements, etc.

With 2 (MA2) or 4 (MA4) independent isolated analogue channels (500 V). Individual channels can be paired-up to allow sensor reading redundancy.

Speed monitoring expansion unit

The MV expansion modules have been developed for motion control (axis speed), enabling safety speed monitoring (up to PL e) for zero speed control, maximum speed, speed range and direction (rotation/translation).

The Mosaic modules integrate incremental encoder inputs (frequency up to 500 KHz) and proximity switches and offer the possibility of configuring up to 8 speed thresholds for each logic output (axis). Each module controls two logic outputs that can be configured through MSD and is thus capable of controlling up to two free axes.

A few applications example.

Zero Speed Control: Mosaic verifies that the dangerous device is at a standstill; this enables unlocking gates or movable guards so that operators can safely access the dangerous areas.

Maximum Speed Control: the system verifies that the safety speed set (maintenance speed) is not exceeded. This enables to safely perform maintenance operations and system adjustments.

Intuitive setup

Mosaic Safety Designer is a free-of-charge software for system configuration. Its drag & drop graphic interface is simple and intuitive. Three functions prove to be particularly useful among the designers:

1. Validation, allowing checking the design phase
2. Monitor function, allowing for testing during installation
3. Simulation function, allowing simulating the system functionality during design.

In addition, the Project Report provides the actual PFH, DCavg and MTTFd values necessary for calculating safety function performance level.

Example of application

Protecting palletizing systems of irregular goods (materials not easily stackable): the presence of seams, labels and protrusions, contributes to the irregular geometric shape of the pallet, causing false signals from the sensors.

To solve the problem and achieve high reliability of operation of the plant while ensuring all safety requirements, the light curtains and muting sensors used are managed by the Mosaic Safety Controller. This solution, in addition to ensuring the functionality preventing undesirable stops due to false signals, allows you to easily adapt the system to the safety features of the system in accordance with the IEC TS 62046 and other existing regulations.

All timings of the system and management of muting functions are configurable by the Mosaic Safety Controller, allowing maximum versatility of the plant.

Courtesy of ReeR Academy.