Automatic Safety Functions in Industrial Facilities
Industrial facilities and equipment commonly use automatic safety functions to control risks. These functions are often known as Safety Instrumented Functions (SIFs) or Instrumented Protective Functions (IPFs).
Their purpose is to monitor specific parameters such as:
- The temperature of a reactor
- Position of a moving part
- Speed of a motor
- The presence of a person or object using a sensor
When specified conditions occur, such as a temperature exceeding a limit, the function takes action to prevent harm.