Neuron Automation

In the current business environment, it is becoming increasingly challenging to integrate functional safety considerations into the application engineering process. The lack of flexibility in engineering processes has been hindered by the use of separate tools for safety and application engineering, lengthy certifications, and a shortage of skilled workers. A solution approach from Neuron Automation offers a potential solution.

The Austrian group of companies, based in St. Pölten, provides customers with a complete portfolio for creating functionally safe control components, from hardware and firmware to application engineering, with a highly scalable and certified Safety Toolbox. The comprehensive development services provided alongside the modular system enable the realisation of engineering projects from concept to certification in a short time-to-market and within the agreed budget, thus offering long-term investment protection.

Faster with pre-certified safety toolchain 

To enable the programming of safety functions in parallel with applications, a pre-certified safety toolchain is integrated that supports the engineering of safety functions up to level SIL 3 in accordance with IEC 61508, PLe in accordance with ISO 13849 and ASIL C in accordance with ISO 26262. In addition to the certified runtime system, the central components of this toolchain are a static code analysis and a two-stage test manager. These enable developed safety function blocks to be first tested in a simulation environment ('software-in-the-loop') and then in the actual target environment ('processor-in-the-loop'). Successful test runs result in the release of the functions. As the entire toolchain is already pre-certified, subsequent adjustments to the safety functions do not require re-certification, which significantly speeds up the initial creation and ongoing changes to the applications. The software modules created in this way can then be made available to technicians without in-depth programming knowledge via special safety libraries. The modules are assembled with minimal effort via an intuitive graphical user interface in low-code mode, eliminating the need for expertise in typical PLC programming languages. This facilitates the implementation of engineering processes based on the division of labour, which can also help to alleviate the shortage of skilled workers.

System Engineering & Tool Integration 

In the field of system engineering and tool integration, the Neuron Automation portfolio provides comprehensive support in the establishment of a centralized data model or software bus architecture, facilitating seamless tool integration between system and application engineering. 

Our automated solutions, including continuous standard and user-defined rule set analyses of design models, connectors for automatically moving data between tools and holistic traceability of data throughout the engineering toolchain, are designed to address the specific challenges our customers face. 

Engineering ‘in time’ and ‘in budget’ 

Leading automation manufacturers have already selected the comprehensive Neuron Automation solution package, as it provides application-specific safety engineering that is significantly more efficient than traditional engineering alternatives. Due to work-sharing processes, certified toolchains and pre-programmed function blocks, manufacturers can rapidly create safe applications and products while also ensuring the necessary flexibility for future developments. It is not necessary to differentiate between functional and secure applications. The broad scaling options allow both standardized and individual automation solutions to be implemented in a short time frame, ensuring a fast time-to-market. 

Neuron solutions are developed continuously in close collaboration with customers as part of joint development projects. The company views itself as a strategic partner, providing device manufacturers and OEMs with long-term support in the realization of automation solutions. In addition to offering comprehensive hardware and software development services, Neuron Automation provides customers with the unique opportunity to develop their own solutions based on its modular safety system of pre-certified components. This enables users to tackle the mounting cost pressures and increasingly compressed innovation cycles in industrial production with assurance.