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 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 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: An industrial device comprises a light emitter and a detector that is optically coupled to the emitter. A first deformable mirror/lens is optically coupled to the emitter, the first deformable mirror/lens is dynamically shaped to facilitate receipt of light at the detector. For example, the deformable mirror/lens can be associated with one or more actuators that causes the mirror/lens to be shaped in a desirable manner.

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: 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: 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: 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: Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate tolerating and/or correcting light beam misalignment in a light-emitting device, such as a light curtain. Attributes of the light beam can be assessed and compared to predetermined threshold values to evaluate whether the light beam is misaligned, and corrective feedback can be generated to adjust the position of one or more transmissive apertures generated on an LCD, through which light is permitted to pass, in order to re-align the light beam.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate increasing a coverage area for an emitter-receiver pair in a light curtain by generating multiple light beams from a single emitter and aggregating the light beams at a corresponding receiver. A plurality of light beams can be generated by reflection off of a MEMS mirror associated with the emitter, which can then be reflected from receiver-side mirrors along generally parallel paths, to corresponding emitter-side mirrors, which in turn reflect the light beams back to a MEMS mirror associated with the receiver. The receiver-side MEMS mirror can aggregate the reflected light beams for detection thereof by the receiver. According to a related aspect, transmissive LCD arrays can be employed at both the emitter and receiver to generate and recombine a plurality of light beams, respectively.

Abstract: A safety switch that includes a body, a number of contacts, a movable plunger, a signal emitter, and a signal detector. The signal emitter and signal detector are positioned proximate the plunger and configured to assess the operability of the safety switch. The plunger is configured to selectively allow or prevent passage of a signal emitted from the signal emitter toward the signal detector depending on a position of the plunger. Control circuitry in connection with the signal detector is arranged to generate a control signal based on the detection of the emitted signal and configured to control operation of the safety switch independent of the relative position of the number of contacts.

Abstract: A safety light curtain comprises a light emitter and a first micro-machined electromechanical system (MEMS), wherein the first MEMS receives light emitted by the emitter and sequentially reflects the received light to a first plurality of light wave guides. A detector receives an optical signal relating to light from at least one of the first plurality of light wave guides, the optical signal received by the detector employed to control operation of a machine associated with the safety light curtain.

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.