Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates providing a safety mechanism associated with a protective zone in an industrial automation environment. An radio frequency identification (RFID) component can receive data from an RFID tag to identify a location. A safety component can employ a safe mode to a device based at least in part upon the location to employ a protected zone in proximity with the device.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates initiating a sequence within an industrial automation environment. A radio frequency identification (RFID) component can receive data from an RFID tag. An event control component can invoke at least one event related to a device in a designated control sequence.

Abstract: System(s) and method(s) that facilitate utilizing biometric sensors (e.g., fingerprint, hand scan, voice recognition . . . ) in manufacturing systems in order to maintain accurate safety audit trails. A safety audit system, utilizing a biometric sensing device, facilitates determining if a user is allowed to access and change the configuration of the manufacturing system. Once a user is allowed to change the configuration (e.g., programmable electronics, tooling changes, software updates, etc.) the changes are automatically recorded in a safety audit database. Automatic storage of configuration changes mitigates manual recording of changes thereby enhancing the safety audit data often necessary to meet safety standards for manufacturing systems.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides industrial automation systems and/or methods that evaluate a proximity to potential hazards. A plurality of sensors can provide redundant detected data. Additionally, a proximity evaluation component can evaluate the detected data, determine a location of at least one of a person and an object, and identify a distance from the location to one or more hazardous zones in a monitored region.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides industrial automation systems and/or methods that can aggregate data. A plurality of sensors can provide redundant detected data. Additionally, a weighting component can respectively weight the detected data based upon a confidence of accurate measurement corresponding to each of the plurality of sensors. Further, a combination component can assemble the redundant detected data based at least in part upon the weights to generate harmonized data.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides industrial automation systems and/or methods that visualize availability and safety levels. An optimization component can generate a voting configuration that provides an optimized combination of a safety level and an availability level based upon available redundancy. Additionally, a graphical user interface can present a visualization of the safety level and the availability level.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides industrial automation systems and/or methods that configure available redundancy. An interface component can obtain input data. Additionally, an optimization component can generate a voting configuration that allocates available redundancy to provide an optimized combination of safety and availability based at least in part on the input data.

Abstract: Systems and methods of risk management that employ a risk assessment component to continuously update risk estimation associated with a machine of a manufacturing system. A data input component is provided for receiving a measured parameter associated with a current machine condition. A comparison is performed between the measured parameter from current machine condition with predetermined risk estimations/assessment parameters to determine whether the current machine condition is within the range of acceptable operator risk conditions.

Abstract: A photodetection system and related circuitry designed to sense the intrusion of an opaque object in a light plane. Upon sensing the intrusion, the system quickly initiates a machine-stopping sequence prior to the opaque object coming into contact with the machine while that machine is operating. The system comprises a SYSTEM microcontroller and a WATCHDOG microcontroller, both of which operate an output control device of the light curtain switch of the invention, wherein the output control device comprises a plurality of electromechanical relays. Both microcontrollers also perform system hardware and software integrity checks. Furthermore, the WATCHDOG microcontroller evaluates the performance of the SYSTEM microcontroller by transmitting a false intrusion signal to a photosource, determining whether the false signal has been detected, and then verifying that the SYSTEM microcontroller has initiated the machine-stopping sequence.

Abstract: A photodetection system and related circuitry designed to sense the intrusion of an opaque object in a light plane. Upon sensing the intrusion, the system quickly initiates a machine-stopping sequence prior to the opaque object coming into contact with the machine while that machine is operating. The system comprises a SYSTEM microcontroller and a WATCHDOG microcontroller, both of which operate an output control device of the light curtain switch of the invention, wherein the output control device comprises a plurality of electromechanical relays. Both microcontrollers also perform system hardware and software integrity checks. Furthermore, the WATCHDOG microcontroller evaluates the performance of the SYSTEM microcontroller by transmitting a false intrusion signal to a photosource, determining whether the false signal has been detected, and then verifying that the SYSTEM microcontroller has initiated the machine-stopping sequence.