Material Testing Safety Control With Intentional Two-Input Activation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional material testing systems often fail to comply with international safety standards and rely on costly off-the-shelf safety components, which can compromise operator safety and system reliability.

Innovation Solution

Integration of a safety system within the material testing system, utilizing machine state indicators, redundant monitoring, and direct hardware control to ensure compliance with ISO safety standards, reducing the need for external safety components and enhancing reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional off-the-shelf safety components are used, then safety coverage is provided, but system cost increases and reliability is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety system reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the safety system with the material testing system by integrating safety controllers, monitoring circuits, and control logic directly into the testing machine architecture. This eliminates the need for separate off-the-shelf safety components while maintaining comprehensive safety coverage, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated safety system performs multiple functions including emergency stop control, guard monitoring, safety door interlocking, and operator presence detection within a unified architecture. This multi-functionality reduces the number of discrete components needed compared to conventional approaches using separate safety devices for each function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of manufacture

If integrated safety system is implemented, then cost is reduced and reliability is improved, but compliance with international safety standards must be ensured

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidstandard compliance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements safety functions by modifying control parameters, monitoring thresholds, and operational states within the integrated system rather than adding separate hardware components. This approach reduces manufacturing cost while maintaining compliance with ISO safety standards through software-controlled safety logic and configurable safety parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-affected harmful factors

If safety system requires intentional function activation, then operator safety is enhanced, but system operation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperator safetyVSAvoidsystem operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The safety system requires intentional activation through predefined sequences or confirmation steps before hazardous operations commence. This preliminary action ensures operator awareness and intent verification, enhancing safety while the integrated control interface maintains ease of operation through user-friendly activation procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3887708B1Material testing system including safety systems requiring intentional function activation
Publication Date: 2024.09.11 ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC
  • EP3887708B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3887708B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3887708B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Safety systems requiring intentional function activation and material testing systems including safety systems requiring intentional function activation are disclosed. An example material testing system includes: an actuator configured to control an operator-accessible component of the material testing system; an operator interface comprising a plurality of inputs; and one or more processors configured to: control the actuator based on at least one of a material testing process or an input from the operator interface; and require two or more inputs to be received within a predetermined threshold time to permit at least one operation of the actuator.