Platform on civil engineering, underground infrastructure, energy, construction equipment & construction machinery
The primary goal of Pilz, an international supplier of solutions for safety and automation technology, is to automate plants in such a way that the safety of people, machines and the environment is guaranteed at all times. The transfer of the knowledge present within the company is one of the spearheads of this. For example, around making rail applications safer.
European legislation includes two rail-related directives, one of which deals with rail safety. "These directives are used the most and are the most important," said Robert Romijn, safety consultant/trainer within Pilz. "Simply because in case of calamities you are judged on the legally established rules. In order to comply with applicable legislation, CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization, ed.) has developed the EN50126 for rail applications, among others. Not only do we use these and other standards ourselves in the development of new services and products, but we also like to share the knowledge present within our company in this area with the market. We explain how the standards, especially those relating to safety, for infrastructure and rolling stock should be used in practice."
With the intensive knowledge sharing, Pilz is clearly meeting a growing need. Even among companies that have been active on and around the railroad for years. "Often people are not sufficiently informed about the rules and the latest technology," continues Romijn. "Pilz is changing this from its extensive knowledge and expertise. For example, we are currently busy connecting our services to ERTMS, the European standard for train safety and control. A lot is going to happen in that area in the next few years. And we are anticipating this, for example by setting up a new international business unit. It will focus on rail activities and the development of safe interfaces for infrastructure. Initiatives that will allow us to provide the rail sector with a customized service from a safety perspective. For example, ProRail recently issued a tender for accelerating the ERTMS track to replace the current train protection system ATB. Our ideas are considered extremely promising in this regard."
Generic controller for different types of switches
The Swiss VT Verkehrs- und Industrietechnik AG (VT AG), experts in track and points construction, wanted to modernize the central control and monitoring system for eight points of different types. Based on the PSS 4000 Rail automation system, VT AG developed a centralized controller for all types of points together with Pilz. This generic control solution has the advantage that it only needs to be certified once and can be transferred to other types of points in the future. In this way, the innovative retrofit ensures that operating processes run smoothly and safely.
Active in the rail sectorr
Pilz has been supplying (safety) solutions along the railroad for about 10 years, for example in points controllers, level crossings, signal controllers and control technology. It does so for the entire rail sector; from heavy rail to light rail and industrial rail. Within the safety solutions offered, the PSS 4000 Rail automation system takes center stage. Since this system meets the strict guidelines of the laws and regulations within the rail sector (CENELEC), it is resistant to electromagnetic interference, extreme temperatures, vibrations and mechanical stress.
