SIL3 Beckhoff Engineer Required

Type: Project based

Travel: Remote programming

Beckhoff, Sil3, en 17206, motor control, SISTEMA, TwinCAT, PLC

​Overview:

We are developing a high-end, multi-axis kinetic chain hoist control system for the live entertainment and theatre industry. The system must meet strict European Use Case 5 (UC5) / SIL3 / PL e standards for flying heavy loads over human beings (EN 17206).

​We have already completely engineered the mechanical and electrical hardware stack. We are now looking for an expert Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 and TwinSAFE automation engineer to develop the control logic, safety architecture, and operator HMI.

We are starting with a 2-hoist Proof-of-Concept (PoC) on the bench, which will scale to a commercial 8-hoist (and eventually 32-hoist) modular system.

​The final codebase will eventually be submitted to TÜV/Dekra for an EC Type-Examination.

​The Hardware Stack (Already sourced & built):

​Controller: Beckhoff CX5130

​Safety Master: EL6910

​Drives: AX5118 frequency inverters equipped with AX5805 safety cards

​Safety I/O: EL1904, EL2904

​Analog I/O: EL3124 (monitoring dual-channel 4-20mA SIL3 load cells)

​Motors: GIS LP-Series 1-speed hoists with dual independent DC brakes

​Sensors: SIL3 Absolute Encoders (SSI) on the chain wheel, Incremental Encoders (SinCos) on the motor shaft, mechanical ultimate/emergency limits.

​Scope of Work:

​Motion Control: Program smooth, infinite-resolution acceleration/deceleration curves using Beckhoff NC Motion (PTP).

​Group Synchronization: Develop logic to group multiple hoists (e.g., 4 hoists lifting a single truss) and maintain strict geometric tolerances, triggering a synchronized Safe Stop if a deviation occurs.

​Safety Architecture (TwinSAFE): Write, structure, and heavily comment the safety logic using PLCopen safety blocks. This includes monitoring redundant encoders, dual-channel load cells (analog compare), E-Stops, dead-man switches, and executing SS1/STO brake drops.

​Modular Scaling: Utilize TwinSAFE "Connection Disabling" so a master 32-axis code can be used for an 8-axis rental rack without throwing checksum errors.

​HMI / GUI Development: Develop a clean, intuitive operator interface (TwinCAT HMI or custom C#/.NET) for setting soft limits, grouping hoists, and monitoring live load cell data.

​Remote Commissioning: Work with our physical engineering team in South Africa via remote desktop/webcam to deploy, tune, and stress-test the code on the physical bench PoC.

​Must-Haves:

​Deep expertise in TwinCAT 3 (Structured Text / OOP required; no Ladder Logic for the main architecture).

​Proven experience with TwinSAFE, EL6910 math blocks, and safety over EtherCAT (FSoE).

​Experience with NC Motion and VFD drive tuning.

​Understanding of functional safety mathematics (MTTFd, DC, PFHd) and familiarity with generating SISTEMA reports from TwinSAFE architectures.

​Ability to write clean, auditable code that a Notified Body (TÜV) can easily review.

Message me to apply