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 at least one of an operator command or 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 action involving controlling the actuator, automatically set the state of the material testing system to one of the restricted states.

An emergency stop system for suppressing the possibility that an emergency stop state of a machine is released due to the shock of the falling of an emergency stop switch that stops an operation of the machine in an emergency is provided. The emergency stop system includes: a fall detection unit that detects falling of an emergency stop switch on the basis of a detection value obtained by an acceleration sensor; a shock detection unit that detects shock after the falling of the emergency stop switch on the basis of the detection value of the acceleration sensor; a switch state detection unit that detects an ON-OFF state of the emergency stop switch; and a signal output unit that outputs an emergency stop signal to the machine regardless of the ON-OFF state of the emergency stop switch when the switch state detection unit has detected switching of the ON-OFF state of the emergency stop switch within a predetermined period after the fall detection unit detected the falling and the shock detection unit detected the shock.

A servo system is used. The servo system includes: a safety driver including a drive signal generation circuit which generates a drive signal driving the drive device based on an action command from a standard PLC via a communication line and a feedback signal from the drive device, a drive signal path through which the drive signal is transmitted from the drive signal generation circuit to the drive device, and a safety stop circuit which cuts off the drive signal path when a stop instruction signal is input; a safety controller, connected with the safety driver by a control signal line and generating the stop instruction signal in response to an input of an operator and outputting the stop instruction signal; and a safety communication unit generating the stop instruction signal in response to an instruction from a safety PLC via the communication line and outputting the stop instruction signal.

A safety control system has a control unit with safety control logic, a safety sensor arrangement, a machine arrangement operable in different operation modes, each operation mode having a different productivity, the control unit receiving and evaluating input from the safety sensor arrangement, and, in reaction to evaluation result(s), activating an operation mode determined by the safety control logic, the safety sensor arrangement having at least two functionally redundant subsystems, control unit input including information indicating availability of the functionally redundant subsystems, the control logic being configured to activate normal operation mode with normal productivity if input indicates availability of all subsystems, activate fail-stop operation mode with zero productivity if input indicates unavailability of all subsystems, activate fail-operate operation mode with productivity less than normal but above zero if input indicates at least temporary unavailability of at least one and availability of at least another one of the subsystems.

A control system for technical installations includes at least one electronic manual operator-control instrument that can be carried and used mobilely by an operator-control person for influencing and observation of the control system or a connected technical installation. The instrument has a wireless communication interface and a communication interface established via a connecting cable. At least one safety switching element actuated by the person on the manual operator-control instrument can at least terminate potentially hazardous control commands or movement sequences. The hard-wired communication interface includes a contact-based plug interface on the instrument having a first coupling element on the instrument and a second coupling element coupled and decoupled as needed relative to the first coupling element. At least one termination indicator on or in the connecting cable directly in or near the second coupling element can be sensed electronically by a termination-indicator detector.

A numerical controller has a tool retraction function for retracting a tool so as not to damage the machined surface of a workpiece when machining of the workpiece by a machine tool is interrupted. The numerical controller identifies a machining method for the machining to be interrupted when a command to interrupt the machining is detected, determines the direction of the retraction of the tool, based on the identified machining method and the feed direction and the rotation direction of a spindle in the machining to be interrupted, and generates a movement path of the tool in the determined retraction direction.

A method for operating a machine control system and a corresponding machine control system uses a portable hand-held terminal for functionally influencing at least one machine controller. The terminal includes at least one emergency stop actuation element for terminating potentially dangerous machine operations. The controller and/or the terminal is adapted for indicating a representation of the control system on the terminal display. The controller and/or the hand-held terminal is adapted for indicating the operational range(s) of the at least one emergency stop actuation element by the terminal display. The controller and/or the hand-held terminal are further adapted for simultaneously representing the operational range(s) of the at least one emergency stop actuation element by selective, fail-safe controlling of at least one lighting device at the hand-held terminal and/or at least one discrete lighting device in or at the at least one emergency stop actuation element at the hand-held terminal.

The emergency stop switch 2 performs an operation support of an operation switch, and not only improves operability and safety but also simplifies the structure to enhance reliability. The emergency stop switch (or operation switch unit) 2 with an operation support function includes an emergency stop button (or operation switch) 21 for switching the state of the contact, a reception part (or detection part) 32 for detecting a remote operation of the emergency stop button 21 and an electromagnetic solenoid (or actuating part) 3 that is disposed between the contact and the emergency stop button 21 and that actuates the emergency stop button 21 on the basis of the remote operation received (or detected) by the reception part 32. The emergency stop button 21 is located on one end side of the emergency stop switch 2 and the contact is located on the other end side of the emergency stop switch 2.

A robot control device that controls operation of a robot including a robot arm, a driving section configured to drive the robot arm, and a driving control section configured to receive electric power supplied to the driving section and output power to the driving section based on an input control signal, the robot control device including a logical operation circuit configured to perform a logical operation about a stop signal and output an operation result and a power interruption circuit configured to interrupt, based on the operation result, the electric power supplied to the driving control section or the control signal input to the driving control section to thereby interrupt the power of the driving section.

An emergency stop system for suppressing the possibility that an emergency stop state of a machine is released due to the shock of the falling of an emergency stop switch that stops an operation of the machine in an emergency is provided. The emergency stop system includes: a fall detection unit that detects falling of an emergency stop switch on the basis of a detection value obtained by an acceleration sensor; a shock detection unit that detects shock after the falling of the emergency stop switch on the basis of the detection value of the acceleration sensor; a switch state detection unit that detects an ON-OFF state of the emergency stop switch; and a signal output unit that outputs an emergency stop signal to the machine regardless of the ON-OFF state of the emergency stop switch when the switch state detection unit has detected switching of the ON-OFF state of the emergency stop switch within a predetermined period after the fall detection unit detected the falling and the shock detection unit detected the shock.