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BERNSTEIN Safety technology: Different variants of safety relays

Safety relays and safety controllersEvaluate, switch, protect – for the highest safety requirements

Reliable monitoring, secure evaluation, flexible integration: safety relays form the heart of every functional safety solution.

With BERNSTEIN's classic, programmable and diagnostic-capable safety evaluations, you can secure inputs and processes up to Performance Level e – compliant with EN ISO 13849-1 and prepared for modern interfaces such as IO-Link, USB or NFC.

Our solutions integrate seamlessly into existing safety chains and ensure reliable safety in machines and systems – exactly where failures are not an option.


What is a safety relay?A building block for genuine safety

Safety relays play a central role in the functional safety of machines and systems. They detect signals from sensors, switches or emergency stop devices and ensure that a quick and reliable response is provided in the event of an emergency – for example, by selectively shutting down a drive.

Unlike standard relays, they meet the high requirements of EN ISO 13849 or IEC 62061. They detect internal faults, prevent unsafe conditions and thus make a decisive contribution to compliance with the required performance level (PL d or PL e).

Whether classic, programmable or with diagnostic functions – BERNSTEIN offers safety relays for every safety-related application. With modern interfaces such as IO-Link, USB or NFC, our evaluation modules can be integrated flexibly and future-proof.

Technical properties

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High performance level
up to PL e / SIL 3
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Wide range of interfaces
e.g. IO-Link, USB, Ethernet/IP
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Broad product range
from classic to programmable
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Compact designs
Space-saving in the switch cabinet
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Standard-compliant
according to EN ISO 13849-1, EN 61508, EN 62061

Highlights and features

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DCD diagnostics
Intelligent status evaluation in series connection
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SMART Safety
Can be integrated into the Smart Safety System
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DCD interfaces
for the integration of mechanical components
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Modularly expandable
Scalable according to requirements
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Intuitive software
Free of charge, easy and quick to configure

Typical functions & tasks

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Monitoring
of connected switches and sensors
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Emergency shutdown
in case of danger or emergency stop
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Control
of safety gate releases after standstill
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Access interlock
before machine start
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Fault diagnosis
for preventive maintenance (predictive maintenance)

Safety relays and safety controllers for every applicationFlexible application – from standard to networked

Whether proven standard functions, flexible control or intelligent interfaces – our safety relays and safety controllers adapt to your application. Depending on the safety architecture, machine complexity or diagnostic requirements, we offer solutions that can be seamlessly integrated into your control system – reliable, scalable and certified up to PL e.

Every task has its solutionThe right safety relay for every application

FeatureSafety relaysIntelligent safety relayConfigurable safety relayExpandable safety controller
FunctionClassic signal evaluationOSSD evaluation, diagnostics & IO-LinkConfigurable safety functionsExpandable with DCD diagnostics
Connectable devices1up to 32 with DCDup to 64 with DCDup to 394 with DCD
Safety inputs2210up to 154
Safety outputs1 relay1 relay with 3 contacts2 relays with 3 contactsup to 68
InterfacesIO-Link, USB and NFCProfinet, Ethernet/IP, Modbus/TCP and USBProfinet, Modbus/TCP, USB and EtherCAT
DCD-compatibleX
Configurable via softwareXX
Expansion modulesXXXup to 8 I/O expansion modules

Safety relays in practical useProven solutions for real-world applications in machines and systems

Luminous emergency stop on a laminating line

Applications SMART Safety System

The best of the 90s and the best of today

Retrofit of a laminating system from the 1990s with the latest BERNSTEIN safety technology.

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Lifting platform example

Applications SMART Safety System

Reaching high at the airport - not only on the runway

A loading platform at the cargo terminal of a german airport was equipped with SMART Safety from BERNSTEIN

Read more
SRF sensor on a compaction system

Applications SMART Safety System

Off to the waste press?

Smart safety technology for the waste disposal industry: Our SRF non-contact safety sensors check whether maintenance flaps are properly closed.

Read more

Strong in function and detailRelay solutions from BERNSTEIN

For decades, BERNSTEIN has stood for safe, well-designed solutions in machine and plant engineering. Our safety relays perform key tasks in functional safety – they evaluate signals, monitor conditions and ensure targeted shutdown in the event of danger.

Whether classic, diagnostic-capable or freely configurable: our relay solutions are designed for a wide range of applications – from simple individual applications to networked safety architecture with DCD. Technically precise, reliable in operation and compliant with standards up to Performance Level e.

  • Decades of experience
    in functional safety technology
  • Wide product range:
    from classic relays to expandable safety controllers
  • Diagnostic-capable systems
    with IO-Link, USB, NFC and DCD
  • Easy integration
    into different machine and control concepts
  • Scalable
    for simple, complex or retrofittable applications
  • Compliant with standards
    up to Performance Level e according to EN ISO 13849
  • Personal project support
    from experienced application experts

At a click.All information as download


FAQs

A safety relay is specially designed to perform safety-critical functions in machines and systems – such as evaluating an emergency stop signal or shutting down dangerous movements when a safety door is opened. Unlike a standard relay, which merely switches, a safety relay has additional measures for fault detection, redundancy and self-monitoring. This enables it to meet the functional safety requirements of EN ISO 13849 or IEC 62061.

BERNSTEIN safety relays meet the functional safety requirements of EN ISO 13849-1, EN 61508 and EN 62061 – depending on the product, up to Performance Level e (PL e). For international use, our products are equipped with relevant certifications, including cULus, CCC and PI-certified interfaces for PROFIBUS and PROFINET.

The specific conformities can be found in the respective technical documentation.

Performance Level e (PL e) is the highest classification in functional safety according to EN ISO 13849-1. It describes the reliability of safety-related control functions.

→ You can find a detailed explanation of this in our wiki article: Performance Level in safety applications

A programmable safety evaluation is useful when several safety-related components need to be flexibly combined and reliably evaluated.

With the specially developed software from BERNSTEIN, safety circuits for the SCR P or SCx can be conveniently created, simulated and adapted using drag & drop. This saves time in project planning and enables quick commissioning – especially for more complex applications.

DCD (Daisy Chain Diagnosis) is an intelligent, patented diagnostic system from BERNSTEIN. It enables the transmission of detailed status and error messages from all connected safety components within a series connection – clearly, centrally and efficiently.

→ More about how it works in the Wiki: What does ‘Daisy Chain Diagnosis’ mean?

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Eine BERNSTEIN Mitarbeiterin führt ein Kundentelefonat an ihrem Arbeitsplatz

Keep in touch with us

You have questions or need more information? We will take care of your request and will be happy to advise you on our products and solutions.