Schmersal Safety Switches & Interlocks — Complete Guide from Germany

Schmersal Safety Switches & Safety Technology from Germany

Schmersal Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of machine safety technology. Founded in 1945 in Wuppertal, Germany, Schmersal produces safety switches, safety interlock devices, safety relay modules, light curtains and complete safety systems for machine guarding and industrial automation. Their products are used wherever EN ISO 13849 and IEC 62061 functional safety requirements must be met.

VBN Vertriebs GmbH supplies original Schmersal safety switches, interlocking devices and safety systems directly from Germany to industrial customers in Nigeria, UAE, Indonesia, Israel and worldwide.

Schmersal Product Range

Safety Interlock Switches — AZ, BNS, BPS Series

Schmersal safety interlock switches monitor the position of safety guards, hinged doors and sliding panels on industrial machinery. The AZ 200 series is one of the most widely used safety switches in European machine building — a robust, versatile device available in plastic and metal housings with up to 4 contacts. The BNS 33 series provides compact safety switching for smaller guards, while the BPS series offers non-contact magnetic safety switches for hygienic or high-wash-down environments.

Solenoid Interlocks — AZM, BDF Series

Schmersal solenoid interlocks (AZM 200, AZM 300, BDF 200 series) combine guard position monitoring with powered guard locking. The solenoid holds the guard closed until the machine has reached a safe condition — essential for applications with significant coast-down times such as centrifuges, grinding machines and robotic cells. Available in versions with monitoring of the locking bolt position for high safety category requirements.

Safety Relay Modules — SRB Series

Schmersal SRB safety relay modules process signals from safety switches, emergency stop buttons, light curtains and other safety devices to produce safe switching outputs. Available for SIL 1–3 and Performance Level c–e applications. The SRB 201ZH and SRB 301LC are among the most frequently ordered Schmersal safety relay modules for emergency stop and safety gate monitoring.

Non-Contact Safety Switches — BNS, RSS Series

Schmersal non-contact safety switches use inductive or RFID technology to monitor guard position without mechanical contact. The RSS 36 RFID safety switch provides tamper-resistant guard monitoring — the RFID coding makes it very difficult to defeat the safety function with a simple tool. Ideal for applications where high safety integrity is required.

Light Curtains & Safety Sensors — SLC/SLG Series

Schmersal SLC and SLG series safety light curtains protect access openings to hazardous machinery. Available in Type 2 and Type 4 versions for PL c/d and PL e applications respectively. Finger, hand and body detection versions cover all standard access protection requirements.

Most Frequently Ordered Schmersal Products

VBN regularly exports the following Schmersal products to customers in Nigeria, UAE and Indonesia:

AZ 200 series — standard safety interlock switches, most widely used Schmersal product
AZM 200 series — solenoid interlock for guard locking applications
BNS 33 series — compact safety switches for smaller guards
SRB 201ZH — safety relay module for emergency stop monitoring
RSS 36 series — RFID non-contact safety switches
BPS 33 series — magnetic non-contact switches for hygienic applications

Industries Using Schmersal Safety Technology

Automotive Manufacturing — robot cell guarding, press safety, assembly line protection
Food & Beverage — hygienic safety switches (BPS, stainless steel versions) for washdown environments
Oil & Gas — Ex-rated safety switches for hazardous area machine guarding
Pharmaceutical — cleanroom-compatible safety devices, IEC 62061 compliant systems
Packaging Machinery — high-cycle safety interlocks for fast-running packaging lines
Cement & Mining — heavy-duty safety switches for conveyor guards and crusher enclosures

Schmersal vs DOLD — Understanding the Difference

Schmersal and DOLD are both German safety technology manufacturers, but they serve different functions in a safety system:

Schmersal manufactures the physical safety switching devices — switches, interlocks, light curtains that detect the guard position
DOLD manufactures the safety relay modules that process the signals from Schmersal (or other) switches and produce safe output contacts

In many machine safety systems, both brands work together — Schmersal switches feed signals into DOLD safety relays.

How to Order Schmersal Products from VBN

To request a quotation, send us the Schmersal part number (e.g. AZ 200-B2, AZM 200-B1) or describe the application and safety requirement. We will identify the correct product and provide a quotation within 24 hours. VBN exports original Schmersal products from Germany worldwide with full export documentation.

View our Schmersal Brand Page
DOLD Safety Relays Guide from Germany
TURCK Sensors from Germany
Request a Quote for Schmersal Products — response within 24 hours