A method includes sending a first safety instruction to a machine in response to, within an entry window of time, receiving an open alert that a movable barrier is in an open state, where the movable barrier is at an entry point of an enclosure protecting personnel from the machine, receiving tag information of a person from a reader at the movable barrier, and confirming that the tag information belongs to a person authorized to enter the enclosure. The method includes sending a second safety instruction to the machine in response to, within the entry window of time, receiving the open alert, and without receiving tag information or confirming that the tag information belongs to a person authorized to enter the enclosure. The first and second safety instructions are different and the first safety instruction is less restrictive than the second safety instruction in terms of actions to prevent injury.

A component includes a housing mounted at an entry point of an enclosure protecting a machine. The component includes a first RFID sensor, in the housing, that reads a first RFID tag in close proximity to the first RFID sensor indicating a closed status of a movable barrier of the enclosure at the entry point. Opening of the movable barrier allows entry to the enclosure. The component includes a second RFID sensor, in the housing, that reads a second RFID tag of an authorized person. The component includes a barrier access module that sends an open alert that the movable barrier is in an open state in response to the first RFID sensor not being close enough to read the first RFID tag, and an identification module that sends tag information unique to a person from the second RFID tag.

The present invention relates to a machine door (2), comprising a door frame (10) having an opening (20), at least three door segments (30), and an actuating means (40), wherein the actuating means (40) can adjust the at least three door segments (30) from a position in the door frame (10) that clears the opening (20) to a position out of the door frame (10) that closes the opening (20). In addition, the present invention relates to a machine (1) having such a machine door (2).

In some embodiments, a controller is configured to be operably coupled to a series of safety relays. Each safety relay is coupled to a machine from a plurality of machines. The controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of a potential collision between any machine from the plurality of machines that is coupled to the at least one of the safety relays that was activated. The controller is configured to send, in response to the signal indicative of the potential collision, a signal to at least one of the safety relays from the series of safety relays to activate the at least one of the safety relays, thereby stopping motion of any machine from the plurality of machines that is coupled to the at least one of the safety relays that was activated.

A method includes sending a first safety instruction to a machine in response to, within an entry window of time, receiving an open alert that a movable barrier is in an open state, where the movable barrier is at an entry point of an enclosure protecting personnel from the machine, receiving tag information of a person from a reader at the movable barrier, and confirming that the tag information belongs to a person authorized to enter the enclosure. The method includes sending a second safety instruction to the machine in response to, within the entry window of time, receiving the open alert, and without receiving tag information or confirming that the tag information belongs to a person authorized to enter the enclosure. The first and second safety instructions are different and the first safety instruction is less restrictive than the second safety instruction in terms of actions to prevent injury.

A component includes a housing mounted at an entry point of an enclosure protecting a machine. The component includes a first RFID sensor, in the housing, that reads a first RFID tag in close proximity to the first RFID sensor indicating a closed status of a movable barrier of the enclosure at the entry point. Opening of the movable barrier allows entry to the enclosure. The component includes a second RFID sensor, in the housing, that reads a second RFID tag of an authorized person. The component includes a barrier access module that sends an open alert that the movable barrier is in an open state in response to the first RFID sensor not being close enough to read the first RFID tag, and an identification module that sends tag information unique to a person from the second RFID tag.

A lathe serving as a machine tool includes: a cover that has an opening and defines a machining area for a workpiece; a door for covering the opening; a servomotor that moves the door; a detector that detects a position of an operator standing in front of the opening; and a controller that controls, based on positional information of the operator detected by the detector, the servomotor to move the door to a position associated with the positional information.

A machine control and data logging station, intended for use with a saw or other machine tool, features a processor which monitors a number of input lines, a real time clock and time stamp function. Any change of input signals from the machine tool will be recorded in flash memory. Both wired and wireless outputs may read the memory at any given time. Optionally, hardware or software data communication encryption may be employed to provide increased confidentiality and security. The station continually monitors sensor inputs and can react automatically to emergency-stop the machine tool upon sensing a dangerous condition.

A machining system comprises a machine tool, a machine tool controller that controls the machine tool, an auxiliary device that assists the machine tool, and an auxiliary device controller that controls the auxiliary device. The machine tool and the auxiliary device work cooperatively for machining. The machining system comprises a signal management unit that receives a first signal and a second signal. The first signal indicates information about the machine tool as a criterion used for determining whether the machine tool and the auxiliary device are operable or inoperable. The second signal indicates information about the auxiliary device as a criterion used for determining whether the machine tool and the auxiliary device are operable or inoperable. The signal management unit outputs a third signal indicating an operable state or an inoperable state of the machine tool and the auxiliary device to the machine tool controller and the auxiliary device controller based on the first signal and the second signal.

A device for failsafe monitoring a number of passes of a moving machine part through a defined movement region comprising an input for receiving an encoder signal, which represents a motion value of the moving machine part. The device further comprises a failsafe evaluation unit for providing a failsafe shutdown signal as a function of the number of passes of the moving machine part through the defined movement region. The failsafe evaluation unit is configured to determine the number of passes of the moving machine part through the defined movement region from the motion value.