Creating safety applications with TSN ‘easier than ever’

At SPS – Smart Production Solutions 2023, the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) unveiled new products and services for developing safety devices with CC-Link IE TSN connectivity. This enhancement, backed by CLPA members Mitsubishi Electric and Neuron Automation, is set to facilitate the creation of highly effective, integrated industrial automation applications for functional safety.

The development ecosystem for CC-Link IE TSN encompasses a wide array of software and hardware tools designed to assist automation vendors in creating compatible products. A significant new component of this ecosystem is the safety protocol stack from Mitsubishi Electric, TÜV certified to comply with IEC 61508 standards, supporting safety integrity level (SIL) requirements up to SIL3. This advancement enables industrial automation vendors to develop safety devices compatible with CC-Link IE TSN, the first open industrial gigabit Ethernet incorporating TSN functions.

The newly available safety protocol stack allows device manufacturers to create fail-safe devices for safety ecosystems within CC-Link IE TSN converged networks. This innovation reduces costs and efforts for machine and plant builders, enabling the simultaneous transportation of standard control data, fail-safe application data, and non-time-critical data, such as video streams, over a single network via CC-Link IE TSN.

Andreas Pfaff, Division Manager – European Development Centre at Mitsubishi Electric, stated: “The demand for safety solutions and industrial automation products that actualise Industry 4.0 is rising considerably. We are excited to launch our latest development option for CC-Link IE TSN, catering to both these needs and promoting the delivery of devices and systems that ensure functional safety over advanced networks.”

As a pre-certified component, the safety protocol stack significantly aids in the design and creation of devices with SIL ratings, streamlining the development, certification, and validation processes. Additionally, European automation vendors will benefit from extensive, localised support from Neuron Automation.

Neuron Automation’s experts offer a comprehensive toolkit for engineering solutions, including firmware and hardware development for safety systems. As a partner, Neuron Automation contributes to reducing time-to-market and costs while mitigating risks in safety projects.

Robert Mühlfellner, Chief Technology Officer at Neuron Automation, remarked: “There’s a growing global demand for advanced safety solutions, and we’re proud to assist European companies in meeting this need. Our support in adopting Mitsubishi Electric’s new safety stack will enable companies to swiftly develop competitive products, enhancing their profitability and fulfilling their most demanding customer requirements.”

John Browett, General Manager at CLPA Europe, concluded: “We’re thrilled to present this latest solution and service offering to industrial automation entities in Europe. This combination is poised to advance the implementation of effective safety communications over converged CC-Link IE TSN networks, facilitating the cost-effective establishment of highly connected, smart factories.”

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