donderdag 16 augustus 2012

Pilz and Thales Deutschland set the course – Safe, economical automation solutions for rail systems

Thales Deutschland and the automation company Pilz have concluded a co-operation agreement, with the aim of working together to develop products, functions and applications for signalling technology. Both partners are currently working on joint approval from the Federal Railway Authority (EBA) for an application with the highest safety requirement (CENELEC SIL4). The technical basis for these rail engineering solutions is the automation system PSS 4000 from Pilz.

Existing signalling technology, particularly on regional lines, is largely based on old signal box technology, operating mechanically or via relay technology. Signalling technology on the German rail network needs modernising and industrial control solutions are under consideration. They can help to significantly reduce the cost pools that have so far dominated in the purchasing, engineering, operation and servicing of signal box applications. However, to enable these solutions to be used, they must be programmable using the standardised IEC 611331-3 languages and must also satisfy the high safety requirements for rail traffic, in accordance with the CENELEC standards EN 50155 and EN 5012x.

"With Pilz we are pursuing the goal of providing long-term, reliable and economical solutions in signalling technology, based on programmable logic controllers", says Volker Schenk, Head of the Transportation Systems Division at Thales Deutschland.

"Using industry-proven, safe automation technology in control systems for signalling technology, we can work with Thales to demonstrate a new way of modernising signal box technology", explains Renate Pilz, Managing Partner of Pilz.

The automation system PSS 4000 from Pilz is a control solution which can be used in conjunction with the I/O systems in a modular design, which is both versatile and expandable. When appropriate measures are in place, the solution can be used in applications up to the highest safety integrity level SIL4 in accordance with CENELEC. With solutions for safe control technology, Pilz has many years' experience in numerous railway industry applications. For decades, Pilz systems have been used all over the world for safety in passenger and freight transportation: on level crossings, in the shunting yard or in railway stations, for example. Pilz is a member of the German Railway Industry Association (VDB).

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