A method of accessing an element in a process control environment using a portable communicator includes defining a plurality of control areas within the process control environment, determining a position of a user operating a portable communicator with respect to one or more of the control areas, establishing an identity of the user, and selectively allowing the user to access an element within the process control environment via the portable communicator depending on the determined position of the user with respect to the one or more control areas and on the identity of the user.

Aspects of operating an automated machine include: a database device for storing a plurality of machine safety rules (SRj) in terms of relationships between safety-sensor devices and technical devices, in particular requirements between safety-sensor device description data (DSDi) and technical-device description data (DDi); and a control device implemented: to retrieve the safety-sensor device description data (DSDi) and the technical-device description data (DDi) associated to the technical devices and the safety-sensor devices comprised in the automated machine, to retrieve, from the database device, safety rules (SRj) corresponding to the retrieved safety-sensor device description data (DSDi) and the technical-device description data (DDi), to determine as to whether the retrieved safety-sensor device description data (DSDi) and the technical-device description data (DDi) comply with retrieved safety rules (SRj).

The invention relates to a safety switching device (10) comprising a control side (40) with at least one single-error tolerance, having a first and second control unit (12, 14), each formed on an actuation side (50) for emitting a switch command (20) to at least two switching elements (52, 54, 56), and comprising a monitoring unit (30, 30.1, 30.2, 30.3) having a first and a second connection element (31, 36), and which monitoring unit (30, 30.1, 30.2, 30.3) is designed to emit the switch command (20) to at least one switching element (52, 54, 56) of a load circuit (23), characterised in that the at least two switching elements (52, 54, 56) are each designed as standard components that are free from a forced guidance of the contacts (62) thereof, and the first connection element (31) is directly connected to the second control unit (14) via a first feedback channel (42) and the second connection element (36) is directly connected to the first control unit (12) via a second feedback channel (44).

A control system is provided with safety drivers having motion safety functions, a safety controller for outputting a safety command to the safety drivers according to a safety program, and with a support device, wherein the safety program includes information for disabling particular motion safety functions and wherein the support device includes: a reception unit for receiving a designation, given by a user, of enabling or disabling for each of the motion safety functions; a generation unit for generating the safety program in accordance with the designation; and a transfer unit for transferring the safety program to the safety controller.

A method of alarm of a screw-locking error includes retrieving a confidence interval of screw-locking parameter data of different screw specifications, setting locking parameter data of a screw-locking process according to a range of the confidence intervals, acquiring locking parameter data in real time, collating the acquired locking parameter data, analyzing the collated locking parameter data to obtain normal locking parameter data and abnormal locking parameter data, and analyzing the abnormal locking parameter data to obtain an error type of each abnormal locking parameter data. The abnormal locking parameter data and the corresponding error type of the abnormal locking parameter data are reported.

Embodiments of this present disclosure may include a handle disposed on an outer surface of a housing of electrical circuitry. The handle may provide access to at least a portion of the electrical circuitry. The handle may include a status indicator that emits light in response to a control signal from control circuitry. The status indicator may be disposed around the handle. The control circuitry may detect a state of the electrical protection circuitry. The control circuitry may also transmit the control signal to the status indicator based on the state. The control signal may control one or more properties of the light emitted by the status indicator, and thus indicate to an operator the state of the electrical circuitry.

In a method for operating a system, which has a plurality of sensors (21, 22, 23), the sensors (21, 22, 23) provide first sensor data (11) to a primary process (31). Furthermore, the sensors (21, 22, 23) provide second sensor data (12). At least a part of the first sensor data (11) and the second sensor data (12) is subjected to an analysis (13). A result (16) of the analysis (13) is used in at least one secondary process (33) of the primary process (31).

A safety system includes a processor that executes safety control in accordance with a safety program, a communication interface that mediates an external access to the safety program held by the processor, and a support device that transfers the safety program to the communication interface through a network according to an operation of a user. The safety system presents information about the safety program transferred from the support device to the user. The communication interface transfers the safety program transferred from the support device to processor on a condition of an instruction from a user.

Provided is a control system which can support a user with respect to the designation of a data group to be collected. The control system (1) includes: first and second controllers (100, 200); a drive device (300) which has a plurality of safety functions for a motor (400); a data tracing module (154) which traces a state value for indicating an operation state of the motor (400); and a support device (500) which receives a setting of the data group to be collected including the state value. The support device (500) includes: a storage (510) which stores collection candidate information in which a data group of collection candidates is associated with a type of a safety function; and an output section (508) which outputs, as the data group to be collected, the data group of collection candidates associated with one selected safety function.

The present disclosure describes a computer-implemented method to manage an industrial plant facility, the method including: monitoring multiple streams of input data from a network of sensors at the industrial plant facility, wherein the network of sensors include one or more camera devices; determining, by a server computer, an event during construction or operation of the industrial plant facility based on analyzing the multiple streams of input data in real-time; and based on the determined event, generating a notification to alert at least one operator of the industrial plant facility.