The safety standards for important functions of the Machinery Directive EN ISO have been released

The EN ISO 13849-1 standard is the basis for evaluating the safety of complex machine control systems. It involves determining the required performance level and identifying safety related control components until the implementation of safety functions.

On November 30, 2023, the European Union officially issued the EN ISO 13849-1:2023 version, which specifies a series of criteria, such as those used to determine performance levels, in order to provide better support for implementation. It also takes into account the greater significance of software and validation. Safenet's standard experts recommend that design engineers and operators in mechanical engineering familiarize themselves with the upcoming new features as early as possible.

Compared to previous versions, there are now more precise specifications for risk parameters used to determine the required performance level (PLr), which can be used to divide the level of risk reduction into several stages.

The standard now uses five factors to explain the choices to avoid hazards and how to determine the probability of these hazards occurring. For example, these factors include the speed at which danger occurs (such as fast or slow) or the likelihood of avoiding danger (such as escape). Machine manufacturers and operators must consider these amendments when classifying the risks of their security concepts.

Machine manufacturers will also have greater flexibility. Each security function can be achieved by combining multiple subsystems. These subsystems can be pre validated by manufacturers or new subsystems designed by machine manufacturers or integrators.

The most important aspect is the requirements for software and management related to functional safety, especially for security related application software. This standard contains precise specifications on how to develop software design and validation processes, depending on performance levels.

ISO 13849-1 requires manufacturers, designers, and operators to familiarize themselves with upcoming new features as early as possible. They have a significant impact on the design of safety machinery.

We, Safenet, are the EU CE certification body with announcement number 2805. We have assisted many domestic companies in ensuring that their products meet the requirements of EN ISO 13849-1 standards and have obtained high-level CE type test certificates.

Our security automation experts can also provide relevant assessment services for each stage of the machine lifecycle, as well as comprehensive certification training and technical support services for functional safety. If your enterprise has relevant needs, please contact us.