EN ISO 11161: Integrated Machinery System (IMS)

EN ISO 11161: Integration of machinery into a system

Last edit: 24/07/2023

The Standard EN ISO 11161 was published in May 2007 by the Technical CommiTtee ISO/TC 199 in substitution of the first version 1994 and it is currently under revision.

This is a standard of type B1 regarding a specific safety aspect: the safety of the integrated machinery system (IMS). 

NOTE: at the moment the acronim IMS stands for Integrated Manufacturing System; The new edition of the standard will use the term Integrated Machinery System.

The Standard specifies the safety requirements for the integration of machinery into a system. It gives recommendations and requirements fot inherently safe design, safeguarding and information for the use of an IMS.

The Standard is not intended to cover safety aspects of indivudal machines and equipment that can be covered by standard specifics to those machines and equipement. Therefore it deals only with those safety aspects that are important for the safety-relevant interconnection of the machines and components.

It specifies also the strategies to prevent or control accesses in the IMS.

The starting point for the safety of th IMS is the Risk Assessment, which must be carried out taking into account: the limits of use and task of the system, the hazard and possible hazardous situations.

The Standard defines the Integrated Machinery System as follow: "Two or more machines, capable of operating independently of each other, which are interconnected by controls and act together in a coordinated manner for the purpose of fabrication, production, treatment, processing or packaging of discrete parts or assemblies as part of an enterprise value chain".

Part of this article, expecially the terminology used, is based upon the new edition of the standard, that will be publised in 2023.

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