Failsafe feeder shuts down motors safely

Siemens has developed a failsafe load feeder with a built-in PROFIsafe interface, which shuts down motor systems automatically and safely if a contactor fault is detected. The device can also be ordered to perform safe shutdowns remotely via the PROFIsafe interface.

The load feeder (above) is based on a motor starter coupled to one of Siemens` Simatic ET200S distributed I/O modules. The all-in-one assembly cuts hardware costs by eliminating the need for separate contactors, auxiliary contacts and supplementary modules. Wiring costs are said to be up to 80% lower than systems based on discrete components.

There are two versions of the load feeder, capable of switching loads of up to 7.5kW. The facilities include direct and reversing operation with contactor trip. Failsafe operation is in accordance with Category 4 of EN 954-1 and SIL3 of IEC 61508.