ACTOM Industry’s Mine Winder Hoist team has attained SIL 3 certification from TÜV SÜD Germany for the newly developed Mk6.0 Electronic Speed and Distance Protection (ESDP) system—setting a new standard in hoist safety and reliability.
As the ACTOM Group’s mine winder hoist specialist, ACTOM Industry has consistently delivered turnkey drive, control, and switchgear solutions for complex industrial applications across mining, metals, paper, and processing sectors. For nearly twenty years, their previous-generation ESDP systems have operated safely and reliably, even without formal SIL certification. However, as global safety standards evolve, the need has arisen to develop a next-generation system that meets the highest international safety integrity level.
Developed entirely in-house by their engineering team, the Mk6.0 SIL 3 ESDP offers certified protection by continuously monitoring the hoist’s speed and depth parameters in both directions. Its dual-channel safety architecture, redundant SIL 3 hardware, and integrated diagnostics ensure that no single fault can lead to a hazardous situation.
The Mk6.0 SIL 3 ESDP enforces the hoist’s speed and depth safety limits from start to stop, in either direction of travel. Its dual-channel (HFT = 1) architecture is constructed entirely from SIL-certified components, including a Safety PLC, redundant SIL 3 absolute encoders, and SIL 3 safety relays. The system is designed so that no single fault can cause a dangerous condition — any detected fault automatically de-energises the system to a safe state.
Certified safety functions include:
· Forward and Reverse Wind Monitoring — protection against over-travel beyond preset depth limits or motion conflicts with the commanded direction.
· Overspeed Protection — active in both directions across all operating modes, including rock-wind, man-wind, sling, inch and creep.
· Emergency Braking Overspeed — ensures overspeed protection remains active even during alternative braking.
· Internal Fault Detection — continuous diagnostics for hardware and I/O faults, communication loss, contact welding and parameter mismatches.
In addition to safety, the Mk6.0 introduces advanced features such as an integrated HMI for setup and diagnostics, real-time logging, brake performance monitoring, and simplified proof-testing — all of which contribute to improved reliability and easier maintenance.
This certification represents a significant achievement for ACTOM Industry, showcasing their dedication to innovation, compliance, and engineering excellence. The Mk6.0 SIL 3 ESDP is now ready for deployment on new winder systems or as a partial or full retrofit for existing installations.
Congratulations to the whole engineering and support team for this outstanding achievement!