Machine wiring standards

[ElectroChem]

Hoping some of you industrial gentlemen can help me with an enquiry.

My company (based in Sydney, Australia) has been asked to design and build the electrical controls for a CNC machine destined for European customers. The programming is being handled by our client, we're just building it.
If this machine was staying in Australia, we'd just wire it to our in-house standards and colour schemes and job done. However, I recall being told on this forum that there are standards and codes around wiring colours inside machine control panels in Europe.

So I'm hoping someone can direct/link me to an ISO/EN document that would define these codes, as well as some advice on if they are mandatory or just recommendations.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Andy-1960]

EN60204-1:2018

 

[Spoon]

Also, to add to the above, there will also be Safety Standards that will need to be adhered to.

 

[netblindpaul]

EN60204-1:2018

Yes, but it is not as yet harmonised to the Machinery Directive!
That could take another year, so even though the old version is withdrawn, strictly speaking, the old version is the one that should be followed as it is harmonised.
Crazy situation I agree.
There is also ISO 13849-1 for safety functions -2 for validation of safety functions, 13850 for emergency stop provision.
Along with as has been suggested a raft of other standards.
You will also need to know the Performance Level of the required safety functions under ISO 13849-1 to design and build the circuits.
Get the safety functions validated BEFORE you build the panel, because if they fail, you will need to re-do the panel, much more expensive than re-doing the drawings.
Ensure that you can meet the Common Cause Failure requirements of ISO 13489-1 in your EN 60204-1 design and build.

 

[Darkwood]

Out of interest and to add to the above posts, what function/job does the machine do, it may be it falls into a special category which have additional regulations.
The BS60204-1 are the general guidelines of standard practice but as different machines can have totally different hazards and technology behind them then you need to ensure they don't have their own specific section in the BS60204.

 

[netblindpaul]

Out of interest and to add to the above posts, what function/job does the machine do, it may be it falls into a special category which have additional regulations.
The BS60204-1 are the general guidelines of standard practice but as different machines can have totally different hazards and technology behind them then you need to ensure they don't have their own specific section in the BS60204.

Darkwood,
There is only 60204-1 then -32 for lifting equipment, -11 for HV machines, -33 for semi-conductor manufacturing machines, & -31 for sowing machines!
A CNC machine such as a VMC or lathe will have a C-Type standard which will give additional information, but the generic requirements will be as the B-Type.

I noticed that the OP asked if the standards are mandatory, they are not, the EHSR's are mandatory, the standards simply provide a presumption of conformity to the EHSR's if followed.
If the standards are not followed, it is down to the manufacturer and their designated EU responsible person to prove that the design and manufacture that has been undertaken is as safe or safer than would be achieved by using the harmonised standard to meet the requirements of the EHSR.

If you follow the standards it is the safe route, and you have the backing of the standard, deviate from it and you are going to have to justify every single design decision and calculation, if you follow the standard you just have to document what the standard requires and show that you have met it, not how what you have "decided" to do is as safe or safer than the standard, which a deviation from the harmonised standard requires.
This must all be documented in the technical file, and you must CE mark the panel, so that the machine can be CE marked, you will also need to hand the technical file over to your customer so that they can include this in their technical file for the CE marking of the finished machinery.

 

[Darkwood]

@netblindpaul

I give you that, I was mixing my standards up, thought there was a specific BS60204 for woodworking machines but that has several other standards covering that, either way, knowing what the CNC does could give us enough info to recommend other regulations that may cover his machine or it may be suitable to comply to safety standards and the machinery code already given.

 

[ElectroChem]

Thanks for the feedback gents, I'll try to address some of the queries.

I seem to have misled with my phrase 'design and build the electrical controls'. We're just laying out/building the panel and wiring the machine, the program and electrical design is being done by our client's mechatronics engineer.

@darkwood
The machine is a 6-axis CNC bender, gripping and twisting metal blanks into shape.
There are no DOL motors to require dual contactor cutouts, the safe-stop on the Beckhoff servo-drives is being handled in software via EtherCAT. Emergency stop and door safety switches coming back to PLC safety cards. The whole system will have a proper safety assessment and rating before design finalisation, I'm more looking into what we as panel builders need to be aware of.

From my brief reading of the wiring summaries I can find of 60204-1, proper marking of all conductors with printed labels will comply with the identification requirements, so we can use an internally consistent colour scheme without strict coding. Will most likely go with blue for the DC control circuits, with black or white for the AC/DC power lines.

 

[netblindpaul]

EU customer will expect black for AC & DC power. Don’t use white it will cause issues.
All DC control should be blue, AC control red.
Orange for supplies from external machines, e.g. interlocking & special supplies, such as live with the main isolator off.
Stick with these & your customer will not have additional information to put into their technical file to justify the deviation i.e. no additional risk assessment etc.

 

[Darkwood]

Just adding to the colour issue, please be aware that Neutral is also blue over here, if your panel has both DC control and Neutral present there should be a distinction between them.
Dark blue is usually used for DC control and light blue for Neutral, I would also ensure the Neutrals are clearly identified too.