Most people that work with design of machines and machine lines do not know about the term “IMS”. Even supply managers and directors usually have little knowledge of the term and its meaning. From a safety perspective, this is something that in time can lead to a lack of safety, let alone costs and additional work if you’re not able to live up to the requirements in The Machinery directive.
IMS stands for ”Integrated machinery into a system”. But what does this mean? Well, if a machine has been connected to one or more machines, the machine and all the other involved machines will go under the name “integrated machinery” or IMS. From this point of view, the machine will no longer be classed as a separate machine, but as part of a connected machine system. This means that that the person responsible for the machine line not only needs to take into account the safety and performance of the separate machine, but also for how it collaborates with the other machines in the machine line.
To know about the term IMS is of course a good thing, but to really understand how an integrated machine system work according to The Machinery directive is even more important. As an integrator, it is very important to know about the machine- and safety requirements that befalls you when you are building a machine line or implementing a new machine into an existing machine system. How this is done is not always easy to understand by just reading The Machinery directive and/or the standard. How do you for example implement an older machine into an existing machine line, or what safety requirements do a machine line need to live up to in order to be considered safe? All machine lines also need their own instruction manual. It is not enough by just having the documentation for each machine. You also need an IMS-manual that explains operation, maintenance and the safety aspects for the whole machine line.
IMS – Integrated machines
At PREKAM we work with questions regarding safety of machinery daily. Since several years, we also use our experience to educate people in safety of machinery. IMS – Integrated machinery is an education that focuses on connected machines and machine lines. It explains the term machine system and introduces the IMS-standard (EN ISO 11161), which is one of the most important tools while working with integration of machines. This course is held several times yearly and can also be adapted after the needs of our customers in terms of time, place and level of content.
Course leader: Larry Falk
Larry has over 35 years of experience within safety of machinery and has been working with the international standardization plan for a long time in ISO/TC 199/WG3. He has also been working with the new IMS-standard (EN ISO 11161) for 5 years. EN ISO 11161 is the most important and extensive standard for integrated machinery. It will be released soon and will become official on OJEU.
Our next course will be held 22-23/11/2023. Registration can be done here:
https://www.prekam.se/educations/registration-of-interest/
Course content
» IMS -Layout analysis
» IMS Information for use
» IMS – Modes
» Access to IMS
» IMS Control system
» Task zone interface
» Identification of “Span of control”
» Whole body access
» Annex E & Annex G “normative”