A safety device for monitoring a technical installation with a pressure-sensitive sensor. The pressure sensitive sensor having a plurality of first and second electrodes, wherein each first electrode overlaps each second electrode in an associated coupling site. Furthermore, each first electrode is spaced apart from the associated second electrode in the associated coupling site by a pressure sensitive material. Upon application of a force at the coupling site, an electrical resistance between the associated first and second electrode changes. A measuring circuitry coupled to said plurality of first and second electrodes successively determines the electrical resistance at associated coupling sites. For determining the electrical resistance at a coupling site via the associated first and second electrode, the measuring circuitry connects the further first and second electrodes to a terminal for receiving a defined potential to enable isolated measurement of the electrical resistance at the coupling site.

Power tools with conductive couplings used with active injury mitigation technology are disclosed. Conductive couplings are particularly relevant to table saws, hand-held circular saws, track saws, miter saws, and band saws with active injury mitigation technology. Conductive couplings provide a mechanism through which an electrical signal can be coupled or imparted to a blade, and then monitored for changes indicative of human contact with the blade. An exemplary conductive coupling includes a brush that establishes an electrical connection with a moving part of a power tool, and the brush maintains contact with the moving part of the power tool during at least 40 hours of cumulative time when the motor is spinning the arbor and blade without an interruption in the electrical connection sufficient to trigger the reaction system. A conductive coupling may be two-sided compliant. A conductive coupling may connect to a motor shaft to minimize electrical noise.

A power tool and methods are provided for detecting objects (e.g., flesh or other materials) in the operating path of a power tool's output component (e.g., saw blade or drill bit). An object detection sensor in the power tool generates an output signal indicative of a type of material detected in the operating path of the power tool. A power tool controller receives the object detection sensor output and determines when a material in the operating path of the power tool changes. The controller changes operation of a motor of the power tool (e.g., increasing or decreasing speed or stopping the motor) in response to the detected material change. The object detection sensor may include, for example, an RF sensor, a capacitive sensor, a camera, a conductivity probe, or an ultrasound probe.

A safety system having a safety switch for monitoring a safe protective equipment status of movable protective equipment, having a base housing that comprises at least two part members that can be positioned with respect to one another, wherein a signal receiver is provided in one part member and a signal transmitter is provided in the other part member so that a safe state of the protective equipment is detectable by means of a control and evaluation unit, and having an interlocking device having an electromagnet and a retaining plate that is disposed opposite the electromagnet for locking or unlocking the protective equipment, wherein the control and evaluation unit is configured to unlock or lock the interlocking unit after checking and verifying the signal receiver, wherein a coil of the electromagnet forms a resonant circuit with the capacitor, with the control and evaluation unit being configured to control the resonant circuit cyclically by at least one pulse signal, and with the control and evaluation unit being configured to evaluate the pulse response from the resonant circuit and with at least one contact or with no contact between the electromagnet and the retaining plate being detectable by the control and evaluation unit in dependence on the pulse response.

A power tool and methods are provided for detecting objects (e.g., flesh or other materials) in the operating path of a power tool's output component (e.g., saw blade or drill bit). An object detection sensor in the power tool generates an output signal indicative of a type of material detected in the operating path of the power tool. A power tool controller receives the object detection sensor output and determines when a material in the operating path of the power tool changes. The controller changes operation of a motor of the power tool (e.g., increasing or decreasing speed or stopping the motor) in response to the detected material change. The object detection sensor may include, for example, an RF sensor, a capacitive sensor, a camera, a conductivity probe, or an ultrasound probe.

A system and method relating to a slicer system, the slicer system includes a slicer that includes a slider blade, a first motor configured to rotate the slicer blade, an in-feed table configured to hold the product and move, while the product is sliced by the slicer blade; an out-feed table configured to receive a sliced portion of a product, in response to the slicer blade slicing the product, at least one second motor, each of the at least one second motor configured to move the out-feed table in at least one direction; and at least one processor configured to cause the sliced portion of the product to be received on the out-feed table in a predetermined shape by controlling the at least one second motor to move the out-feed table while the slicer is slicing the product.

A robot with a noncontact sensor is configured to: perform the predetermined motion in a state where the moving object does not enter, and thereby store, for each of a plurality of measurement points set in a movable range of the robot, an output value of the noncontact sensor as a reference output value in advance, and stop the predetermined motion when the output value of the noncontact sensor changes from the reference output value at the measurement point closest to a current operating position of the robot by a first threshold value or larger when the robot is performing the predetermined motion in a state where the moving object could possibly enter and the current operating position of the robot is in a range in which it is necessary to determine an entering state of the moving object.

A co-extruded safety contact strip includes at least one contact or switching chamber situated in a section or profile and containing contactor or switching strips. One end of the base of the section is pivotally connected to a first side part and the other end of the base can be form-lockingly locked onto a second side piece. A method for securing the safety contact strip is also provided.

A safety system having a safety switch for monitoring a safe protective equipment status of movable protective equipment, having a base housing that comprises at least two part members that can be positioned with respect to one another, wherein a signal receiver is provided in one part member and a signal transmitter is provided in the other part member so that a safe state of the protective equipment is detectable by means of a control and evaluation unit, and having an interlocking device having an electromagnet and a retaining plate that is disposed opposite the electromagnet for locking or unlocking the protective equipment, wherein the control and evaluation unit is configured to unlock or lock the interlocking unit after checking and verifying the signal receiver, wherein a coil of the electromagnet forms a resonant circuit with the capacitor, with the control and evaluation unit being configured to control the resonant circuit cyclically by at least one pulse signal, and with the control and evaluation unit being configured to evaluate the pulse response from the resonant circuit and with at least one contact or with no contact between the electromagnet and the retaining plate being detectable by the control and evaluation unit in dependence on the pulse response.

An example material testing system includes: an actuator configured to control an operator-accessible component of the material testing system; and one or more processors configured to: control the actuator based on a material testing process; determine, based on a plurality of inputs, a state of the material testing system from a plurality of predetermined states, the predetermined states comprising one or more unrestricted states and one or more restricted states; when the state of the material testing system is one of the restricted states, enforce a restriction on the actuator; and in response to completion of an automated material test process involving controlling the actuator, automatically set the state of the material testing system to one of the restricted states.