Siemens SINUMERIK Series Function Manual page 21

Residual risk for a single-encoder system
Within a single-encoder system:
a) A single electrical fault in the encoder
b) A break of the encoder shaft (or loose encoder shaft coupling), or a loose encoder housing
will cause the encoder signals to remain static (that is, they no longer follow a movement
while still returning a correct level), and prevent fault detection while the drive is in stop state
(for example, drive in SOS state).
Generally, the drive is held by the active closed-loop control. Especially for drives with
suspended load, from a closed-loop control perspective, it is conceivable that drives such as
these move without this being detected.
The risk of an electrical fault in the encoder as described under a) is only present for few
encoder types employing a specific principal of operation.
● All of the faults described above must be included in the risk analysis of the machine
● In order to exclude the fault described in b), for example:
Safety Integrated
Function Manual, 10/2015, 6FC5397-3EP40-5BA3
WARNING
manufacturer. Additional safety measures have to be taken for drives with suspended/
vertical or pulling loads - e.g. in order to exclude faults under a):
– Use of an encoder with analog signal generation
– Use of a two-encoder system
– Perform an FMEA regarding encoder shaft breakage (or slip of the encoder shaft
coupling) as well as loose encoder housings and use a fault exclusion process
according to IEC 61800-5-2, or
– Implementation of a two-encoder system (the encoders must not be mounted on the
same shaft).
Safety instructions
1.4 Residual risk
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