Tighten Safety Clauses and Clarify AI/Telemetry Costs in LTSAs

Designed to allow objects to pass through safety barriers in factories, muting can also introduce new safety risks if not implemented correctly. Muting allows the safety function on machines or systems to be temporarily bypassed so that material can be fed in or out through protective devices such as light curtains or laser scanners without interrupting the production process

Solution 1: Smart process gating (SPG) The safety gap caused by pallet muting can be reliably closed with smart process gating (SPG), in which the bridging function is activated by two independent control signals without external muting sensors

In practice, the pallet itself is sometimes used as a muting trigger (Figure 2) — a procedure that is not permitted, since a person could, for example, simply place an empty pallet in the safety device and deliberately disable the protective device. Solution 1: Smart process gating (SPG) The safety gap caused by pallet muting can be reliably closed with smart process gating (SPG), in which the bridging function is activated by two independent control signals without external muting sensors

” The integration builds on the API-first architecture of Plex QMS, enabling interoperability

These workflows aim to help detect anomalies and reduce defects, since traditional visual inspection is only 80% effective and often fails to store inspection history. The Plex QMS and FactoryTalk Analytics VisionAI integration proposes to deliver improved visual inspection, with results recorded in the Plex system to provide traceability, product serialisation, and an accurate record of inspection history

“With predictive intelligence, manufacturers can shift from scripted automation to adaptable autonomy as systems learn, adjust and collaborate across software, hardware and workers. ” The integration builds on the API-first architecture of Plex QMS, enabling interoperability

Rather than transmitting vast quantities of raw data to PLC controllers and external systems, sensors could process information at the source and communicate only meaningful outcomes. If successful, this shift towards edge intelligence could help reduce both network traffic and some of the computing demand currently placed on large data-centre infrastructure, while simultaneously delivering faster and more reliable automation decisions

Modern smart sensors can provide not only measurement values but also diagnostics, health information and process insights. IO-Link enabled devices, for example, allow operators to access detailed condition monitoring information, parameter data and predictive maintenance indicators that were simply unavailable a decade ago and have ever-increasing onboard processing power

Modern smart sensors can provide not only measurement values but also diagnostics, health information and process insights