Technology can optimise resources and reduce environmental impact

June 9, 2023 2:20 pm

Amol Bari, Head of Services Business, Pilz India, reveals that the company’s objective is to minimise the carbon footprint by developing environmentally friendly products using ecological materials and energy-saving technologies.

How does your commitment to safety and security in industrial automation contribute to the well-being of workers, equipment, and the environment?
Pilz is an innovative company at the forefront of industrial automation for the past 7 decades. We understand the increasing significance of safety and security in manufacturing setups and automation processes. As a trusted partner, we are dedicated to offering reliable and innovative solutions that contribute to a digital, connected, flexible, efficient, safe, and secure world. Our products and business operations are specifically designed to ensure the well-being of workers, equipment, and the environment.

In India, at Pilz, we recognise the paramount importance of safety in industrial automation, and we are committed to providing innovative solutions that help our customers achieve their safety goals. We enable manufacturing units to easily overcome complex safety applications thanks to a team of certified machine safety experts (CMSE) that cater to various applications, training, and consulting projects.

Our range of safety products and systems includes sensors, relays, controllers, switches, and visualisation systems. We also offer a comprehensive range of services, including safety consulting, risk assessment, safety concept, safety design, system implementation, safety validation, and training to ensure our customers have the support they need to achieve safety and security compliance. Our safety solutions are designed to meet the most stringent safety standards and regulations, including ISO 13849, IEC 62061, and IEC 61508. Safety is not just a legal requirement but also an ethical responsibility. Our products and solutions ensure workers can operate machinery and equipment safely without fear of injury or harm.

In addition to ensuring safety, our solutions also help improve productivity and efficiency. We help our customers optimise their operations, reduce downtime, and improve throughput by automating processes and machinery safely. Our solutions are designed to be scalable and flexible, enabling our customers to adapt to changing requirements and environments.

How can automation, IIoT, AR, and VR enhance manufacturers’ performance?
Technology has had a significant impact on enhancing manufacturers’ performance from a safety perspective. Manufacturers can improve safety and security while increasing productivity and efficiency by integrating safe and secure solutions with automation, IIoT, AR, and VR.

Automation has significantly improved the safety of workers by eliminating the need for them to perform hazardous tasks manually. This has reduced the risk of accidents and injuries in the workplace. Additionally, automation solutions can be integrated with safety technology to ensure that the machines and systems operate safely. IIoT has enabled real-time data collection from machines and systems, allowing for predictive maintenance and reducing the risk of unexpected failures. The safety of machines and workers is further improved by identifying potential safety hazards before they occur.

AR and VR technologies have been used to create virtual simulations that can be used for machinery safety training services, safety procedures and protocols. These simulations can provide a realistic and safe environment for workers to learn and practice safety procedures before they are applied in the real world.

What latest advancements in your safety solutions impact productivity and profitability?
At Pilz India, innovation is key to staying ahead in the game. That is why we have been investing heavily in R&D to provide our customers with cutting-edge solutions that are safe, efficient, and cost-effective. Our latest advancements include a range of safety solutions that cater to the needs of the modern manufacturing industry.

Many accidents are caused due to unauthorised personnel entering forbidden areas and making changes or maintenance. These events can be avoided by having an access management system in place. With Identification and Access Management, Pilz offers a wide range of products and software and tailor-made solutions for access management challenges faced by manufacturing setups. Pilz offers safety and security functions in one system, with the operating mode selection and access permission system PITmode that controls access permissions to machines and robots. Pilz prevents shop floor operators from incorrect operation and tampering, thereby protecting humans, machines, and robots.

We provide batch size-1 safety devices that are custom-built for your requirements. Our new safety relay – myPNOZ enables any customer to configure the relay based on his needs and order the systems from his desktop. The plug-and-play system needs no programming and is designed for 2-16 safety functions. myPNOZ is the new modular safety relay produced individually according to a customer requirement in batch size 1. It is an easy-to-use device that is flexible in application and boasts clever features. It ensures reliable monitoring of your safety functions.

Furthermore, as your safe automation partner, we support you in developing individual safety solutions for autonomous vehicles, such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs). By ensuring safe and secure operations, we help our customers avoid costly accidents and downtime, which can result in significant losses. We help them increase throughput, reduce waste, and optimise production, ultimately leading to higher profits by improving efficiency.

What technologies are helping to reduce waste and energy consumption in manufacturing units?
Considering the impact of technologies that improve efficiency and reduce waste and energy consumption is crucial. Our products, such as our energy-efficient motors and drives, are designed to reduce energy consumption and save costs while maintaining high-performance levels.

We have an energy management system per ISO 50001 and an environmental management system per ISO 14001. These help with the long-term implementation of our aim to work and manufacture in an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient way.

Sustainability is a key part of Pilz’s company principles. We aim to develop environmentally friendly products using ecological materials and energy-saving technologies. Energy efficiency is one of the specific demands that the development department places on new products and ongoing technical developments. This ensures that the issue is considered early in the product lifecycle. This applies to all control systems, relays, and sensors, as well as functions relating to actuator technology.

Do IIoT technology aid in optimising resource utilisation and reducing environmental impact?
Technology plays a vital role in optimising resource utilisation and reducing environmental impact. At Pilz India, safety is the cornerstone of sustainable manufacturing. Using technology, we can ensure that plants and machinery are automated to guarantee the safety of humans, machines, and the environment.

Our safe automation technology solutions help reduce the risk of accidents, thus minimising the environmental impact caused by hazardous incidents. Moreover, our innovative solutions use sensors, control, and drive technology to optimise production, reduce downtime, and minimise waste.
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) aids in optimising resource utilisation and reducing environmental impact. With the help of IIoT, manufacturers can collect data in real time, monitor energy consumption, and identify areas of inefficiency. Manufacturers can make informed decisions that can help reduce resource consumption, minimise waste generation, and improve sustainability by analysing collected data.

To what extent do upskilling and training contribute to a sustainable manufacturing process?
We strongly believe that safety is paramount, providing our customers with the necessary knowledge and skills to handle our solutions. We offer a comprehensive range of training around machinery safety, automation, and security. Anyone dealing with plants and machinery should have basic knowledge of machine safety technology. We also plan customised training programs for our customers’ individual needs. We empower our customers with the latest knowledge and skills, enabling them to be better equipped to optimise their production processes, reduce downtime, and increase throughput. We enable manufacturing units to easily overcome complex safety applications thanks to a team of certified machine safety experts catering to various applications, training, and consulting projects. With a well-established nationwide network of certified experts, we cater to all manufacturing unit’s safe and secure automation needs.

What is your company’s approach to sustainable manufacturing, and what practices do you adopt to reduce environmental impact?
Sustainability is a key part of Pilz’s company principles. Our innovative and latest products testify to our company principles that consume less power than comparable products. The company aims to minimise the carbon footprint by developing environmentally friendly products using ecological materials and energy-saving technologies. Additionally, we constantly seek new and innovative ways to reduce our environmental impact and ensure a sustainable future for generations. We continuously monitor energy efficiency and environmental performance through integrated energy and environmental management to detect weaknesses and avoid waste. The aim is to continuously improve energy efficiency and environmental protection.

What are your company’s future initiatives regarding your business?
Pilz is a leader in safe and secure automation technology. With innovative solutions and decades of expertise, Pilz is globally recognised as a complete solution provider for safety and automation technology. Safe automation solutions from Pilz enable manufacturing units to become more digital, connected, flexible, efficient, safe, and secure. We are a reliable partner for the safe automation issues of tomorrow, making the world more digital, connected, flexible, efficient, safe, and secure with its solutions. Pilz is an innovative company with a 7-decade history of shaping the course of industrial automation and is actively involved in over 50 standards committees worldwide. Pilz India has been a leader in providing safe automation solutions to Indian manufacturers since 2011.

We recognise that the factory of the future calls for new concepts, products, and solutions related to Industry 4.0, industrial security, and robotics, and we are committed to driving innovation to meet these needs. Our long history of successful innovation, including the world’s first safety relay PNOZ, the programmable controller, PSS 3000, and the first safe 3D camera system, SafetyEYE, is evidence of our ability to grasp innovative ideas and make them market-ready and suitable for industrial use. myPNOZ, a batch size 1 concept, is safety relays, where our customer can design his safety relay based on his requirements is a trendsetting innovation in the global safety market. We are proud to invest more than 20% of our turnover in research and development to continue driving innovation and staying at the forefront of the industry. With our safety and automation technology expertise, we promote developing CPS cyber-physical production systems.