Fail-safe control from Siemens meets strict rail requirements
Brehna, Halle/Saale, Germany. UPZ Sitech GmbH is part of the UPZ Group and is a specialist in rail safety technology and rail-related services. To ensure the reliable and smooth running of trains in the event of faults in the stationary safety technology for level crossings, UPZ has developed a mobile level crossing protection system.
The solution is based on a Simatic S7-1500F fail-safe control in the robust Siplus extreme version from Siemens. This ensures that the system meets strict rail requirements, including its ability to operate in a temperature range from -25 to +55 degrees Celsius. In addition, the system is TÜV-certified, open, freely programmable and extremely flexible. The modular solution can be used to monitor up to twelve cabinet modules and offers an installation time of just two to three hours.
Level crossings for vehicles and pedestrians are protected with level crossing gates and light signals to ensure effective accident prevention. In the event of faults in the stationary safety technology, a level crossing safety barrier and one or more auxiliary barriers must take over this task – for a maximum of seven days. Then a mobile level crossing protection system must be used to replace the safety function, also known as technical equipment for level crossing safety barriers. The solution from UPZ is based on a fail-safe Siemens Simatic S7-1500F control, which is currently the only fail-safe control that meets strict rail requirements. In the Siplus extreme version, all components and solder points on the printed circuit board feature a specially sealed surface and increased thermal stability for use in temperature ranges from -25 to +55 degrees Celsius.
TÜV-tested, easy to install system
The control is installed as a Siplus ET200SP I/O system. The Profinet Industrial Ethernet standard can be used to connect up to twelve drives, 36 light signals and twelve audible level crossing alarms quickly and reliably to the control. This means that complex level crossings can be protected without problems. UPZ has achieved TÜV certification for its mobile solution including night warning system (NWS), which is a track contact-controlled system that is integrated in the UPZ solution and which provides an audible and visual warning when a train approaches an unprotected level crossing and automatically protects the crossing. In addition, the Siplus extreme rail components meet the requirements of railway standards DIN EN 50126 and DIN EN 50128 (safety standards for rail applications) as standard. This means that rail safety certifications to safety level (SIL) 2 can be achieved without additional testing.
Cost-effective and robust solution is well received
By using the UPZ railroad crossing protection system, which is installed within two to three hours, rail operators can avoid expensive auxiliary barriers and instead opt for a solution that is reliable and robust, but above all also very cost-effective. Around 20 of these systems are now in use across Germany.
