On the way to intelligent safety of machinery: project consortium from OWL successfully completes the “AutoS²” project

In a future in which automated safety technologies are a central component, increasing networking and complexity require more and more technical expertise. The requirements for protecting people (safety) and protecting IT systems (security) are also becoming more and more specific. To date, ensuring safety in line with the new Machinery Regulation has been a manual, standards-based process. Now complete, the “AutoS²” research project examined the automation of hazard and risk assessments to address this future resource problem.

In the study, the researchers focused on a self-describing production plant, which was designed to carry out an independent safety assessment using a verification algorithm. To this end, all existing processes consisting of specified standards were initially integrated into a safety and security concept. For this purpose, the information models of the automation components were transferred to an administration shell as a digital twin. Specially written algorithms were then able to collect this information, query it, and thus perform a security and safety check.

The concrete implementation was then demonstrated on sample production in the SmartFactoryOWL in Lemgo. With this approach, the safety and security of convertible production facilities can be tested more efficiently and the complexity of the assessment reduced. The research results show the general implementation of the automation of hazard and risk assessments within the scope of the MVO. These assessments are now being extended by further testing the concept.