The Burden, er, Value of Machine Safety

March 21, 2011

Although safety component suppliers are quick to point out the improved productivity and efficiency that can be gained with new machine safety standards, machine builders may be loathe to make the switch from EN 954-1 because the alternatives are more difficult and costly to deal with. But not only will machine builders and end users have to comply with either EN ISO 13849-1 or EN IEC 62061 by the end of this year, they are even beginning to come around to the suppliers' way of thinking, according to a new report from IMS Research.

Although safety component suppliers are quick to point out the improved productivity and efficiency that can be gained with new machine safety standards, machine builders may be loathe to make the switch from EN 954-1 because the alternatives are more difficult and costly to deal with. But not only will machine builders and end users have to comply with either EN ISO 13849-1 or EN IEC 62061 by the end of this year, they are even beginning to come around to the suppliers' way of thinking, according to a new report from IMS Research.

What do you think? Is machine safety a costly burden or a good way to improve machine performance and reduce unnecessary downtimes?

Read the news about IMS Research's machine safety expectations, and let us know your views.