Safety Architecture & Performance Level Certifier: Ensuring…

What Safety Architecture & Performance Level Certifier Is

The Safety Architecture & Performance Level Certifier (SAPLC) is a tool used in the design and certification of safety systems within industrial automation. It helps engineers ensure that their systems meet the stringent requirements set by ISO 13849-1, which categorizes safety-related parts of control systems based on risk assessment.

The SAPLC allows users to select different safety architecture categories (B/1/2/3/4) and adjust parameters such as Mean Time To Dangerous Failure (MTTFd), diagnostic coverage, and common-cause-failure (CCF) score. By doing so, it calculates the achieved Performance Level (PL) of a system, which must meet or exceed the required PL derived from risk analysis.

Why It Matters

Ensuring that safety systems in industrial environments are robust and reliable is critical for preventing accidents and protecting human life. ISO 13849-1 provides a standardized framework to assess the performance of these systems, making it easier for manufacturers and engineers to design safe products.

The SAPLC helps bridge the gap between theoretical risk assessment and practical system implementation by providing real-time feedback on how different architectural choices impact safety performance.

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How It Works

In the SAPLC, users can choose a safety architecture category that best fits their application. Each category has specific requirements for MTTFd, diagnostic coverage, and CCF score to achieve the desired Performance Level.

By adjusting these parameters through interactive sliders and toggling buttons on the risk graph, users can simulate different scenarios and see how they affect the system's overall safety performance.

Real-World Applications

The SAPLC is particularly useful in industries such as automotive manufacturing, where safety systems are critical. For example, it can help engineers design a safety system for an automated guided vehicle (AGV) that must meet the stringent requirements of ISO 13849-1 to ensure reliable operation.

In another application, the SAPLC could be used to certify the safety of robotic arms in assembly lines, ensuring they operate safely without posing a risk to workers.

Frequently asked questions

What is ISO 13849-1 and why does it matter?

ISO 13849-1 is an international standard that provides guidelines for the design of safety-related parts of control systems. It matters because it ensures that industrial automation systems are designed with appropriate safety measures to prevent accidents.

How does the SAPLC help in designing a safe system?

The SAPLC helps by allowing users to experiment with different safety architectures and parameters, providing real-time feedback on how these choices impact the system's overall safety performance. This ensures that the final design meets or exceeds the required Performance Level.

Can I use the SAPLC for non-industrial applications?

While the SAPLC is primarily designed for industrial automation systems, its principles can be applied to other safety-critical applications such as medical devices or aerospace systems with appropriate adjustments.

Is the SAPLC only useful for large companies with complex systems?

No, the SAPLC is valuable for engineers and designers of all sizes. It provides a standardized approach to assessing and certifying safety performance, making it accessible to both small and large organizations.

Try it live

Everything above runs in your browser — open Safety Architecture & Performance Level Certifier (2D) and change the parameters while it is running. Nothing is installed, nothing is uploaded, the whole model lives in one tab.

▶ Open Safety Architecture & Performance Level Certifier (2D) simulation

Safety Architecture & Performance Level Certifier: Ensuring Robustness in Industrial Automation