Emerson has introduced the ability to integrate multiple safety zones within a single ASCO Numatics Series 503 valve island. This enables the creation of up to three independent electro-pneumatic safety zones, while also allowing independent non-safe sections to co-exist within one valve island assembly.

Alternative solutions enable the isolation of one zone only per island. The zoned safety approach helps the design engineer satisfy the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and comply with ISO 13849-1 while eliminating the components and complexity commonly found in existing safety circuits.

The ASCO Numatics zoned safety valve island ensures the operator does not have to shut down the entire machine by releasing compressed air with a redundant safety/control dump valve. Instead, the valve island can be configured to shut down pilot air and power only to the group of valves that controls the machine's motion in the operator's vicinity.