Download document () of 20
Send email
Download
You have exceeded the download limit
As the world's most widely used machine safety standard, IEC 60204-1 has ensured the safety of the electrical equipment within machines and systems for many years. The European versions were updated in 2019 and have been mandatory for machine, system and control cabinet engineers since mid-September 2021. This blog post provides some context about standardisation, and lists the eight most significant changes in version six of EN 60204-1 compared to the previous version, which was based on IEC 60204-1 from 2005.
To get the full information, read our white paper on IEC 60204
Every machine or system sold in the European Union (EU) requires CE marking. The mark acts as a declaration by the manufacturer that the product meets all relevant legal requirements in the EU. The aim of CE marking is to document that the safety requirements set out in the EU directives have been met.
EU directives such as the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU establish the general minimum standards for safety and occupational health requirements for products. How these can be met in concrete terms is defined in separate technical specifications called harmonised standards. For the electrical equipment of machines, EN 60204-1 is the harmonised standard to which both of the directives mentioned above refer. EN 60204-1 applies to electrical, electronic and programmable electronic equipment and systems for machines and groups of networked machines, including control cabinet construction.
EN 60204-1 essentially covers all devices and components that operate using nominal voltages up to and including 1000 V AC or 1500 V DC and with nominal frequencies up to and including 200 Hz, both in the field and inside the control cabinet. It can be applied to the entirety of a machine's electrical installation, from the incoming power cable to the terminals or main switch.
In the higher-level context of standards, EN 60204-1 – together with EN ISO 12100, EN ISO 13849 and IEC 62061 – plays an important role in the functional safety of machines.
Get every important blog post or new information Eaton publishes for machine and system builders.
What are the differences between EN 60204-1 and EN 61439? As mentioned above, EN 60204-1 is listed in both the EU Machinery Directive and the Low Voltage Directive. In contrast, EN 61439-1 is only relevant for the EU Low Voltage Directive. Anyone who wants to build and market a machine must apply the EN 60204-1 standard as a matter of principle. In terms of the electrical equipment for their machine, manufacturers may only use components that are compliant with EN 61439. EN 61439 alone is not sufficient to ensure the safety of a machine.
The sixth version of EN 60204-1 reflects the updates that had already been made to IEC 60204-1 in 2016. It contains some corrections, explanations and clarifications, but no significant changes or fundamentally new aspects. For example, additional detail has been added to the basic safety requirements for electrical equipment, a couple of chapters (e.g. documentation) have been republished and informative appendices have been added for use as helpful guides during project planning (e. g. Appendix F) and documentation (e. g. Appendix I). Here is an overview of the eight most significant changes:
Section 4.2.2. on switchgear and controlgear assemblies now contains a reference to IEC 61439 and Appendix F. As a result, technicians may now also use the relevant parts of IEC 61439 during project planning when configuring a switchgear and controlgear assembly.
In addition to the requirements for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) defined in Section 4.4.2., there is now Appendix H which offers comprehensive guidance on complying with EMC requirements, including useful information on the measures and recommended procedures involved. A reference to the IEC 61000 series of standards has also been added.
While altitude has been added to the environmental conditions listed in Section 4.4.5., Section 4.4.8. now also includes vibration, shock and bump. It should be noted that "vibration" encompasses both that generated by the machine itself and that created by the physical environment (e. g. if using a mobile device).
A number of new requirements have been added to Chapter 5. These mostly relate to devices used to disconnect the energy supply and prevent unexpected startup. In addition, the standard contains a fully revised section on the means of operating supply disconnecting devices.
New to Chapter 7 is the topic of earth-fault/residual-current protection, with reference to residual-current devices (RCD) in accordance with IEC/TR 60755.
The most significant change is that the rated short-circuit current of all electrical equipment must now be determined and specified. The standard does not require any specific procedures for this, but refers to methods from IEC 61439-1, IEC 60909-0, IEC/TR 60909-1 and IEC/TR 61912-1. Both design rules and calculations can therefore be used, and type tests carried out.
For supply disconnecting devices, the current version of the standard clearly distinguishes between an emergency stop and an emergency switch-off. If there is a risk of a mechanical hazard, this scenario requires an emergency stop. This includes, for example, controlled driving to a safe position or stopping a movement. When it comes to potential electrical hazards, the standard calls for an emergency stop function that disconnects the electrical energy supply.
With regard to switchgear and controlgear, the standard places particular emphasis on the effects of heat in order to prevent overheating of a system during operation. It requires both a heat calculation and the creation of a heat balance. IEC 61439 is referred to as a possible method of calculating this.
While these were optional for outlet circuits up to 20 A in the previous version of the residual-current devices (RCD) standard, they are generally required in the current version with a rated differential current of IΔn
The requirements for technical documentation have been fully revised in the update. As a result, now only the necessary documents are required. These "necessary documents" refer to the mandatory documents that a manufacturer must create for a machine in order to cover its full life cycle, including information on identification, transport, construction, use, maintenance, decommissioning and disposal of electrical equipment. Helpful information for mechanical engineers can be found in Appendix I of the standard in the form of a table with the recommended documents.
The verification of power drive systems (PDS) has now been included as part of an extensive revision of this chapter. Consequently, it is now mandatory to verify the automatic disconnection of the power supply in the event of a fault. This also applies where a variable frequency drive or servo drive is used. It must be ensured that any fault in the field will also trigger a disconnection in this case. However, the standard does not define how this should be implemented. It simply proposes that the continuity of the protective conductor and loop impedance should be verified.
There are only a limited number of updates that machine and system engineers have to take into account with the sixth version of EN 60204-1. What remains crucial is that they only select products for electrical equipment, switchgears and controlgears that comply with the latest version of the standard. This is the only way to ensure that machines and systems offer maximum safety and availability.
Contact our team or sign up to ask questions and stay up-to-date on news, product updates and industry trends.
Discover our free training course on the latest updates to IEC/EN 60204-1 and learn how to verify the heating and short-circuit strength of control systems in accordance with IEC/EN 60204-1.
Sign up for our newsletter for machine and panel builders. Stay connected for information about changing regulations and new technologies and services to facilitate your day-to-day working and help you grow your business faster.
