Industrial Machine Safety Validation Across Control Paths and Interfaces
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety tests for industrial machines and automation systems only validate individual components like drives, failing to comprehensively test the entire system, including interfaces and control paths.
Innovation Solution
A computer-aided safety test method that automatically identifies control paths, generates test specifications, and verifies these paths by simulating initial states and test sequences, allowing comprehensive validation of the entire system, including sensor and reaction components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If individual components are tested using safety tests, then validation of specific components can be achieved, but comprehensive validation of the entire system including interfaces and control paths cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The testing system is segmented into modular components including sensor device, control unit, reaction component, and engineering platform. Each component can be independently tested while the modular architecture enables systematic integration testing of control paths and interfaces, resolving the contradiction between comprehensive validation and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The engineering platform serves multiple functions: it configures safety functions, generates test cases, executes tests, and validates control paths. This multi-functional approach enables comprehensive system validation without requiring separate specialized systems for each testing aspect, addressing the contradiction between validation completeness and system complexity.
2Reliability
If comprehensive system validation is implemented, then all interfaces and control paths can be validated, but the time and effort required for testing increases
Solution Approach 1:
Test cases are automatically generated by the engineering platform based on configured safety functions and control paths before execution. This preliminary automatic generation eliminates manual test case creation time and ensures comprehensive coverage of all control paths and interfaces, resolving the contradiction between validation completeness and testing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-validation through automated test case execution and result evaluation. The engineering platform automatically monitors test sequences, compares actual reactions with expected reactions, and generates validation reports, significantly reducing the time and effort required for comprehensive system validation.
3Productivity
If automated test case generation is implemented, then testing efficiency is improved, but the complexity of the testing system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engineering platform acts as an intermediary between the test configuration interface and the actual test execution. It automatically generates test cases from safety function configurations, manages test sequence execution, and coordinates monitoring between sensor devices and reaction components. This intermediary approach automates testing efficiently while maintaining a relatively simple user-facing interface and system architecture.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a method by way of which an industrial machine or an automation system is checked by means of a computer-assisted safety test (1000), at least one control path of the entire industrial machine or of the entire automation system being checked by means of the computer-assisted safety test (1000).