3.3 MXIC – Manual Cross Interlock in manual operation

Motivation

In manual operation, operators can trigger individual movements manually. But what happens when two axes depend on each other? What if a cylinder is extended while the other is still in the work area?

To prevent such conflicts, the MXIC – Manual Cross Interlock.

Principle of operation

Every zone that can be operated manually has a button connection. This button stands for manual operation – e.g. "Cylinder 1 extend". When the operator presses the button, Selmo automatically checks the conditions of other zones: Is Cylinder 2 retracted? Is no safety interlock active?

• If all conditions are met → the movement is allowed.

• If a condition is violated → the movement is blocked, and the reason appears on the HMI.

Example

A classic example is the interlock of two cylinders: Cylinder 1 may only extend if Cylinder 2 is to the rear. In the MXIC editor of Zone 1 the following is stored: "Enable Button = Cylinder 2 Rear = TRUE" If violated, no output is set; instead the HMI shows: "Blocked – Cylinder 2 not retracted."

Effect

MXIC turns manual operation from an unsafe test mode into a controlled, traceable operating state. The operator knows why something does not work, and the machine always remains in a safe state.