Rockwell Automation adds safety technology

Staff -- Control Engineering, 9/1/2000

Milwaukee, Wis. —Rockwell Automation announced Aug. 7 that it has signed an agreement with HIMA Paul Hildebrandt GmbH + Co KG (Brühl by Mannheim, Germany), a European leader in safety-related automation systems. The two companies will partner in the development and production of customized safety-specific controllers and software. The agreement addresses growing customer demand for automation control products for safety-critical machinery.

"We looked at the best way to bring integrated electronic safety control to our customers," said Steve Eisenbrown, senior vp at Rockwell Automation. "Safety technology is emerging as a critical new element in the continuum of overall automation control disciplines, which today include discrete, motion, and process control. This partnership is valuable in our effort to address the growing customer demand for safety products and services."

The multi-year agreement includes provisions to develop additional controller-related products and to integrate control and safety systems more tightly at the backplane, network, and software levels. Initial product offerings, scheduled for introduction at Rockwell Automation's Automation Fair in December, carry approval listings from TÜV and meet IEC 61508 specifications. Products will be available for purchase by April 2001. Rockwell intends to market the products under the Allen-Bradley brand name.