Ruthmann's own control system offers safety and service benefits

German truck-mounted aerial platform manufacturer, Ruthmann has been developing its own control technology (hardware and software) for over two years and has recently received SIL certification, which is a measure of safety system performance.

The company received the IEC 61508 safety standard certification from TUV Nord, Ruthmann believes that with this certification, the "Steiger models not only fulfill all of today's safety standards but also meet the known safety regulations of tomorrow."

IEC 61508 is an internationally-recognized functional safety certification of electric/electronic/programmable systems. The requirements of this standard are based upon the SIL (Safety Integrity Level) ranging from the lowest (SIL 1) to the highest (SIL 4) level. Each level refers to the failure-probability range of a safety function: the higher the SIL, the lower the likelihood of a malfunction. An SIL 2 standard is currently required for aerial platforms.

Ruthmann's control-system hardware has received SIL 3 certification because of its consistent 2-circuit design. This design has two separate electrical power supplies, two microcontrollers, two input modules, two safety-relay modules and two CAN bus systems. The self-developed software has received SIL 2 certification.

Ruthmann's thinks having its own control-system technology can also offer customers advantages when it comes to service, maintenance and repair: Ruthmann does not have to consult a third party control-supplier which can be time consuming and costly.