Shutdown Devices

Mistake-proofing solutions using shutdown effects can be almost as powerful as those using forced control effects.

Mistake-proofing solutions that achieve a shutdown effect halt the process:

• After determining that a failure is about to occur – a prevention outcome; or
• After identifying that a failure just occurred – a detection outcome.

Most techniques that shut down a process are the result of an electronic sensor detecting a problem or a potential problem.

• Today, there are almost as many types of sensors as there are potential problems in the process.
• Families of sensors include limit switches, proximity switches, laser displacement sensors, visions systems, counters & timers, photoelectric sensors, and ultrasonic sensors. In addition, there are entire families of process measurement instrumentation and specialty sensors.