FHI Tech Stories: Pilz automation technology about 'The Spirit of Safety'

FHI Tech Stories: Pilz automation technology about 'The Spirit of Safety'

By: Hans Risseeuw

For this FHI Tech Stories we speak with Peter Eland, General Manager of Pilz Netherlands. Pilz Netherlands is an active member of the Industrial Automation sector.

Since 1990, the originally German Pilz automation technology has a branch in Vianen, Pilz Netherlands. This year Pilz celebrates its 75th anniversary, of which the company has been a member of FHI for 25 years.

Peter has developed from sales engineer via various functions within Pilz Nederland to general manager since 2008. He has been in the business for twenty years and has a very good picture of machine safety in all its facets. In short: How are we going to make the interaction between man and machine as safe as possible? Peter is involved with this on a daily basis, from a small production line to bridges and locks.

Cultural shift

Peter proudly tells how he witnessed the cultural shift that 'safe Netherlands' has undergone over the past twenty years. "Until not so long ago, machine safety was something that actually stood in the way," says Peter. Safety is now a crucial part of the design. Ultimately, Peter states, the goal is for machine safety to be invisibly present. By this he means that machines are designed in such a way that the interaction between man and machine can only take place in a safe manner. Safety has become an inherent part of the machine. He notices that where twenty years ago he still had to convince people of the importance of safety, we have now made a huge leap forward: "For Pilz, the emphasis is now much more on the service package, the total solutions, than on convincing people of the importance of safety. Everyone is convinced of this. At least in Europe," says Peter. The difficulty, the challenge, is no longer in convincing but in the how question: how do we transform an unsafe situation into an acceptably safe situation to an ultimately safe situation? Peter concludes that safety is now intrinsically linked to the corporate culture of the Netherlands and Europe.

Peter compares it to winter sports. Until a few years ago, you hardly saw winter sports enthusiasts wearing a helmet. Now it is the exception – the seasoned daredevil, or the recalcitrant beginner – who venture onto the slopes without a helmet. Safety, personal safety, has become a normal part of our lives. The next step is of course the automation process. The development of automated machines where safety is an intrinsic part of the design. With the advantage that safety is not an annoying hood that gets in the way. “Safety is becoming a selling point, even for companies where safety is not part of their core business,” says Peter.

Man and Machine

A new playing field is securing the machine against humans. Everyone is familiar with the horror scenarios of hackers taking control of a machine. One of the most exciting developments we will encounter, says Peter, is artificial intelligence. Risk assessments, software coding and probably completely unexpected applications will develop within machine safety and safety in a more general sense, which will be driven by artificial intelligence. Peter emphasizes that we are no longer just talking about machine safety, but about safety and protection. And then specifically securing the machine against people and external manipulation. He is very interested in cyber security and the developments that are accumulating here. Peter was therefore present at the cyber meeting last spring that FHI organised for its members.

25 years FHI member

One of the things that Pilz Nederland uses from FHI are the terms of delivery. Furthermore, Peter likes to attend the meetings that we organize. Peter also has a suggestion for us: he would like to see us publish research reports on how the market is divided. Market research, in other words. Peter emphasizes that he found the meetings he attended super interesting and therefore likes to continue to attend these meetings. Peter is also very pleased with the electric charging stations in the parking lot at FHI. Entrepreneurial Netherlands is leading the way: the most modern developments are also shooting up like mushrooms at FHI in the parking lot.

Pilz is an exhibitor at the fair Mechanical engineering.