In a method for generating a switching sequence in an industrial plant which includes components for transferring the plant to an energy-saving state, a state model of the plant is used with regard to the components and information about a task-specific action schema with regard to the components. An extended state model is determined by supplementing the state model with the task-specific action schema using circuit-relevant variables. The switching sequence is generated from a start state to a desired target state by calculating proceeding from the target state back to the start state in the extended state model, and the switching sequence is executed.

An optoelectronic sensor (10) for safe detection of objects (32, 34) of a minimum size in a monitoring area (12), the sensor (10) having an image sensor (16a-b) for acquiring image data of the monitoring area (12) and an evaluation unit (24) configured to detect, in the image data, both finely detected objects (34, 36) with a fine detection capability and coarsely detected objects (32) with a coarse detection capability, the coarse detection capability being coarser than the fine detection capability, and to ignore finely detected objects (36) which are not in a vicinity (38) of a coarsely detected object (32).

A method for synchronously optimizing efficiency and energy consumption of a processing machine includes the following steps. A processing parameter and power consumption information of a motor of the processing machine are obtained to establish a characteristic curve of the processing parameter and the power consumption information. A coupling model of the processing parameter and an electricity consumption is established by using a curve fitting method according to the characteristic curve. A processing chipping instruction of the motor, a unit electricity and a processing time cost are obtained. A processing time, an electricity cost and a comprehensive cost of the processing machine are calculated according to the processing chipping instruction of the motor, the unit electricity, the processing time cost and the coupling model to optimize the processing machine.

A method for energy-efficient control of an installation comprises providing a plurality of components, wherein at least one of the plurality of components is able to adopt at least a first, high-energy active state and a second, low-energy standby state. Individual components in the active state have logical dependencies among one another. The method also includes ascertaining for at least one of the plurality of components to store component-specific time information and non-component-specific time information based on the logical dependency with respect to at least one other component.

A numerical controller looks ahead a machining program to detect consecutive non-cutting blocks. The numerical controller calculates first consumed power needed during an execution duration of the non-cutting blocks to shift equipment to a power saving state, operate the equipment in the power saving state, and restore the equipment to a state before the shifting to the power saving state, and second consumed power needed during the execution duration of the non-cutting blocks to operate the equipment without shifting the equipment to the power saving state. When a result of the calculation indicates that the first consumed power is lower than the second consumed power, the numerical controller creates an equipment operation variation pattern according to which the equipment is to be shifted to the power saving state, operated in the power saving state, and then restored to the state before the shifting to the power saving state.

A method for controlling a temperature adjustment system of a machine tool is provided. With the method, a temperature rise value T.sub.k of a main spindle device after stopping of rotation of a main spindle is obtained by using a reference temperature measured by a machine body temperature sensor mounted in a portion other than the main spindle device of a machine tool to calculate an estimated temperature y.sub.k. Therefore, as compared to a conventional method based only on a temperature of a cooling medium, supply of the cooling medium by a cooling device can be stopped or an operation of the cooling device can be switched from a first mode to a second mode without deteriorating machining accuracy in the main spindle device, thereby efficiently reducing power consumption.

Accessing an energy management policy for a plurality of devices is described, wherein the devices are coupled with a first structure. The energy usage of the devices is monitored. An energy usage rule and energy usage is then compared. The energy management policy and energy usage is also compared. Based on the comparing, an instruction is generated to modify an energy usage profile of said device to correlate with the energy usage rule associated with the devices and the energy management policy, thereby enabling efficient energy management.

A component-mounted-board production line includes a power operation switch configured to be operated by an operator to turn power on and off, and an automatic power on and off circuit section configured to turn the power on and off. There is provided a production management means for, in a case where the multiple devices include a device that stops operating and enters a standby state, inputting a power on and off signal to the automatic power on and off circuit section of the device such that the power to device is turned on and off in accordance with an operation state of another device.

In a method for generating a switching sequence in an industrial plant which includes components for transferring the plant to an energy-saving state, a state model of the plant is used with regard to the components and information about a task-specific action schema with regard to the components. An extended state model is determined by supplementing the state model with the task-specific action schema using circuit-relevant variables. The switching sequence is generated from a start state to a desired target state by calculating proceeding from the target state back to the start state in the extended state model, and the switching sequence is executed.

Accessing an energy management policy for a plurality of devices is described, wherein the devices are coupled with a first structure. The energy usage of the devices is monitored. An energy usage rule and energy usage is then compared. The energy management policy and energy usage is also compared. Based on the comparing, an instruction is generated to modify an energy usage profile of said device to correlate with the energy usage rule associated with the devices and the energy management policy, thereby enabling efficient energy management.