The safe operation of potentially hazardous process systems is primarily determined by the reliable operation of actuators. A risk assessment of the different system sections takes into account the extent of the damage, the frequency and exposure time, risk avoidance/mitigation, and the probability of occurrence, and will result in a safety integrity level (SIL).
Risks associated with processing plants in the chemical and petrochemical industry include personal injury of employees in the plants, and the general public in the surrounding area. However, environmental damage is also taken into consideration. It is therefore equally important to ensure the safety of processes by using electrical measurement and control technology, i.e. so-called safety integrated systems (SIS). This avoids dangerous system states (e.g. in the event that permissible pressure levels are exceeded), and the affected system sections are set to a safe state. Furthermore, process trends can be detected at an early stage and appropriate measures can be taken. International standards IEC 61508 (generic standard) and IEC 61511 (process automation) define the framework for assigning a system section to a corresponding SIL and implementing suitable measures in order to minimise process-related risks. . The possible spectrum of risks which must be assumed for safety-related systems has four levels, depending on whether demand is high or low. The required SIL capability of a safety-relevant system increases along with its potential hazard in order to reduce any failure of the safety function as much as possible. Festo offers a great variety of products for safety-related functions. It offers a tried and tested range for the automation of actuators, from pilot valve series VOFC and VOFD, quarter turn actuators DFPD to redundant control blocks with 1oo2, 2oo2 and 2oo3 connection.
Documentation and verification made easy
Planners, machine builders and operators of processing systems must document the required risk minimisation in potentially hazardous system sections. This is then audited by independent organisations who carry out acceptance testing of these systems. The use of suitable, certified products makes it easier to verify the risk minimisation measures. This is particularly quick and easy with Festo products because SIL certificates can be downloaded from the Festo Support Portal at www.festo.com/supportportal. After entering the product type or part number, the certificate can simply be clicked, printed out and saved.
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