From machine regulations to operating modes and procedures

Abstract

This article proposes that the teaching of operating modes and procedures in industrial automation should be conceptualized in accordance with the Machinery Regulation and the related international standards. These aspects are becoming increasingly complex and, at the same time, mandatory for the development of real systems. First, the article analyzes the presence of contents related to safety, operating modes and procedures in national Industrial Automation curricula. It then reviews different models historically used to define procedures, such as GEMMA and PackML. Finally, it proposes and justifies a simple and incremental model, synthesized from the regulations and therefore consistent with them. The paper also examines how this proposed model relates to GEMMA and PackML models and presents an example of its implementation.