William Fitzgerald, managing director at Alpha Automation, explains why the automation specialist is launching a dedicated Machine Safety Division and what the new EU Machinery Regulation, due to take effect in 2027, means for manufacturers navigating an increasingly complex compliance landscape.
At Alpha Automation, we have spent years delivering process automation projects across Ireland, Europe, the USA and the Middle East. Increasingly, our clients were asking for more than automation. They wanted assurance that their machinery was safe, compliant and fit for purpose, and they wanted a partner who could both identify the risks and implement the solutions. That is why we have launched our dedicated Machine Safety Division.
Safety automation capability
The decision to launch this division came directly from customer demand. We found that while safety automation capability was highly valued, customers increasingly needed support that extended beyond the control system itself. They wanted expertise in the machinery, safety devices, guarding, compliance and validation, as well as the automation systems that underpin them. That's why we've built a multidisciplinary team capable of addressing all aspects of machine safety from one place.
The first pillar of the division is machine safety and compliance engineering. Led by experienced machine safety professionals with decades of industry experience, including our technical safety manager, Robynson Molinari, the team delivers machine risk assessments, CE marking, safety audits, verification and validation, and machinery upgrades for equipment entering service within the EU. Having previously worked with TÜV Rheinland and accumulated almost 20 years of experience in machine safety, Molinari brings a depth of technical and regulatory expertise that reflects the level of capability we have invested in building within this new division.
The second pillar is safety automation engineering. Our specialist safety automation engineers design, programme and validate safety PLC systems across all major manufacturers' platforms. Working alongside our machine safety experts, they translate risk assessments into real-world engineered solutions, ensuring that safety functions perform exactly as intended. This capability allows us to design and implement complete safety solutions that extend beyond the control system alone.
By combining expertise in safety PLCs, safety functions such as E Stops and guarding, we can deliver integrated solutions that address both machine safety risks and the functional safety of the control system, all the way through to CE Marking.
L-R: Robynson Molinari, technical safety manage, Richard Stapleton, commercial director, William Fitzgerald, managing director, and Eoin Kennedy, business unit manager.
Timing particularly relevant
The timing of this launch is particularly relevant. From January 2027, the new EU Machinery Regulation will replace the Machinery Directive that has governed machine safety for almost two decades. The regulation introduces significant changes for manufacturers and machine owners, particularly around software, connected systems and cybersecurity. It also places greater focus on what constitutes a substantial modification to machinery, potentially changing the responsibilities of companies that upgrade, relocate or modify existing equipment.
These changes reflect the reality of modern manufacturing. Machinery can no longer be viewed purely as a mechanical asset. Today's production equipment relies on process control systems, safety control systems and increasingly connected technologies, all of which must work together to achieve compliance and maintain safe operation throughout the machine lifecycle.
That is why we've built this division around a single integrated approach. Whether a client requires modifications to a process PLC, upgrades to a safety PLC, a machine risk assessment, CE marking support, or a complete machinery upgrade project, these are no longer separate disciplines. They form part of the same safety and compliance ecosystem.
By bringing process automation engineers, machine safety specialists and safety automation experts together under one roof, Alpha Automation provides a single partner capable of managing every stage of that journey. For manufacturers facing new regulatory requirements, ageing equipment and increasing demands for productivity and safety, it means simpler project delivery, clearer accountability and the confidence that machinery, control systems and compliance are being considered as one complete solution.