In a recent survey into discrete machine safety components, international market research company IHS Markit identifies growing demand for intelligent safety PLC solutions at the expense of safety I/O in European markets.

According to the report Discrete Machine-Safety Components Annual Service, revenues from safety I/O are projected to grow faster than those from standard I/O. Digital modules in safety I/O remain the most popular globally; and most likely to remain so, as analogue costs more and can be seen as unnecessary.

Packaged safety becoming popular

It finds safety components alone are not enough to satisfy customer needs. Safety solution packages are becoming popular, as the demand for services and data is increasing. Smarter safety solutions meet safety requirements but also benefit other aspects of production. The idea is that the more data that can be analysed, the greater efficiency, the shorter the downtime, the lower the risk of equipment failure, and the better management of maintenance.

Industrial Networking

Industrial networking is part of safety solutions and connectivity. Some older fieldbus technologies are inherently safe; but it has taken some time to ensure that some Ethernet technologies are fully safe. There are opportunities for newer technologies with great potential for high-end solutions.

Basic drives are the most common and becoming commonplace in emerging countries since they cost less and there is less stringent legislation on implementing safety practices in manufacturing. However, in EMEA, sales of advanced drives are starting to grow quickly.

Safety shifting from price to performance

The focus on machine-safety components in mature markets is shifting from price to providing more features, benefits and connectivity. This shift means the mature market tends to use high-end components. Globally, IHS Markit says markets are becoming more sophisticated and predicts revenues of laser scanners will surpass those of Type 2 light curtains in 2018; and revenues from safety PLCs will surpass those from safety relays in 2019. Neither of these trends is predicted to occur in the Asia-Pacific machine-safety markets, where price pressure remains high.

For information on the report go to Discrete Machine Safety Components Intelligence Service – Annual