The PROFIsafe wall gets longer with every fair. Befitting its longevity, I suppose.
PROFIsafe began over 10 years ago. Through last year there were 630,000 PROFIsafe nodes installed. Based on the ARC report that the total number of bus-capable safety devices is 700,000, PROFIsafe has a 90% market share. PROFIsafe is the only bus-based safety technology that covers discrete, process, and motion control applications. The take-away: PROFIsafe is long-established and often-used, making it a safe choice today in any application.
Dr. Wolfgang Stripf was once again present and updated me on new advances with PROFIsafe. Five new safety controller suppliers are developing products with Phoenix Contact showing theirs at their booth. Siemens extended their safety controller line to include a PC-based safety controller. This was unexpected since the technical challenges that needed to be overcome in order to achieve approval were substantial. PROFINET contained the magic ingredient that made this possible.
Dr. Stripf also noted that a revision is ready for release for PROFIsafe for PROFIdrive and for PA. The revisions clarify the behaviors that should result when PROFIsafe commands are received.