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Industrial Manufacturing & Robotics
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Factory Automation & Robotics
Machine Safety Systems
Complex deployments where integration, safety, and operational handoff determine production success.
Example organizations in this space:
Pilz
Sick AG
Rockwell Automation
Omron
This interactive experience is the shipped product itself — the same application code customers run in production, mounted read-only in your browser over a real sample journey. Not a video, not a mockup: because the demo and the product are one codebase, it can never drift from the real thing.
Inside this journey
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Safety Requirements Discovery
Map machine hazards, regulatory constraints, stakeholders, current controls, and measurable success criteria for compliance and uptime.
Discovery Questions
Quick tour: your machine, its purpose, and what matters most
- Give a short description of the machine or cell under discussion, including the primary product, major motions, and typical cycle time.
- Who on your team owns safety decisions for this asset and who is the technical lead for controls?
- How often does this machine run during a typical day or shift?
- Which safety standards or regulations do you treat as the baseline for this machine, ISO 13849, IEC 62061, OSHA, or other?
- Describe any recent incidents, near misses, or regulatory findings tied to this machine, and the corrective steps taken.
- Identify the primary outcome you need from a safety upgrade, for example reduced incident risk, less unplanned downtime, faster maintenance access, or easier audits.
Where the current setup actually breaks down
- If an inspector walked the floor tomorrow, which safety gap would they point to first, and why would that be a showstopper?
- How does the current safety arrangement affect your cycle time and throughput, include typical delays caused by access or false trips.
- Walk me through the last time a safety function caused unplanned downtime, what failed, who responded, and how long recovery took.
- List the safety devices currently installed at operator access points, for example light curtains, interlocks, safety mats, or guarded enclosures.
- Name the role that first receives alerts or failures from safety devices, operations, maintenance, or a central alarm system.
- What is the maximum percentage increase in cycle time your line can tolerate before you would reject a safety change, choose one.
Hidden risks that could stop the project
- Identify the single hazard or regulatory gap that would force a deployment stop if it remained unaddressed.
- Estimate the typical lead time to secure site permits or safety committee approvals for machine changes, in weeks.
- Describe the last time a supplier delay on a safety component pushed back a rollout, how you mitigated and what the final impact was.
- Provide the control system platforms or PLC families you must integrate with, and note any strict version or firmware constraints.
- Is there any legal, insurance, or corporate policy constraint that would prevent installing an external safety controller or changing machine safety logic?
Alternatives you are seriously weighing
- Who or what internal plan is most likely to win this work if you do not choose an external safety partner?
- Select the alternatives you have evaluated or are still considering, choose all that apply.
- What would need to be true about your current approach for you to keep it instead of switching to an external partner?
- Has anyone on your staff proposed solving this internally without a vendor, and who would lead that effort?
- Assuming a clear pilot shows the expected reduction in risk, what remaining internal approvals or commercial issues could still block a purchase?
Deployment gates and integration realities
- Point to the single missing integration, access, or infrastructure dependency that would force us to pause scheduling a deployment.
- Provide the names or types of APIs, fieldbus protocols, or safety network technologies that must be supported for integration.
- Name the owner for each endpoint and indicate whether they can provide access during typical commissioning windows.
- Do you have a dedicated maintenance engineer or an external system integrator who will support on-site testing?
- Select the internal capabilities you expect to lack and would require the seller to provide, choose all that apply.
- Choose the action you would take if clean power, network access, or safe machine access cannot be provided on our requested dates, postpone, hire contractors, or cancel.
How you'll judge success and sign off
- Would the need for extra operator training after validation tests delay your acceptance, or would you accept training as part of handoff?
- List the measurable targets you require for PL or SIL, mean time between failures, and allowable reaction time.
- Enter the approvers who must sign final acceptance and the document they will require, for example a validation report, FAT certificate, or risk assessment.
- Is there an absolute non negotiable acceptance criterion that would block sign off even if tests pass, for example a third party audit or insurance sign off, yes or no, and please explain.
- Choose where you will store validation and compliance records, your document management system, historian, or paper files.
- Pick the ongoing support model you prefer after go live, retainer support, pay per call, or internal maintenance.
The few things that speed this to a yes or stop it cold
- What single scheduling or approval constraint would make you pull this project off the calendar immediately?
- Pick the timeframe you must see safety improvement, immediately, within 3 months, by next production ramp, or longer.
- Given a six week pilot proves the performance metrics, which internal approvals or procurement steps would still prevent you from signing immediately?
- Specify the cost center that will fund this work, CapEx, OpEx, maintenance budget, or supplier funded pilot.
- Enter the names and titles of the people who must be engaged this week to keep the timeline, and note whether any have veto authority.
- Indicate the method you prefer for demonstrating project progress, weekly dashboards, on-site checkpoints, or milestone reviews.
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Solution Experience
Walk through proposed safety architectures, risk-reduction outcomes, PL/SIL approach, and how the solution integrates with the buyer's control systems using real scenarios.
Solution Experience
- Solution Experience: Safety Architecture Walkthrough
- Confirm the current state and its cost to your team
- You confirm the demonstrated architecture meets the required PL/SIL mapping for the reviewed scenario.
- Provide PLC model, safety network endpoints, and one or two representative machine scenarios with cycle-time constraints.
- You confirm the integration approach fits your control endpoints and that no protocol or I/O gaps remain for the scenario shown.
- Review a proposed safety architecture on one real scenario
- Deliver a detailed safety architecture diagram for each reviewed scenario, including PL/SIL mapping and expected downtime impact.
- Show PL/SIL mapping and risk-reduction outcomes
- Complete a PL/SIL verification worksheet for the reviewed scenario and share any existing risk assessment outputs.
- You agree on the remaining technical evidence and the specific deliverables needed to advance to Scope and Mutual Commit.
- Integration walkthrough with your control endpoints
- Schedule a follow-up session to review final test scripts and the site-level integration checklist.
- Show cycle-time and failure-mode tradeoffs
- Validation check, confirm this matches your needs
- Decide remaining evidence and next technical deliverables
- Solution Experience: Safety Architecture Walkthrough
- Solution Experience Deck
- Safety Solution Brief
- meeting
- slides
- document
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Solution Scope
Define hardware, safety sensors, controllers, engineering services, verification tests, responsibilities, and deliverables required to meet performance and cycle-time targets.
Scope Configuration
- Supply safety-rated light curtain assemblies
- Supply laser area scanner units
- Supply interlocked guard hardware and locking systems
- Supply safety PLC and safety controller hardware
- Supply safety mats and pressure-sensitive devices
- Install and wire safety devices onsite
- Program and configure safety PLC logic
- Integrate safety I/O with machine control system
- Install emergency stop stations and safety relays
- Install and commission two-hand control stations
- Commission, functional-test, and validate safety systems
- Deliver PL/SIL verification and compliance documentation
Scope Questions
Supply safety-rated light curtain assemblies
- Describe the machine type and access points where each light curtain assembly will be mounted (for example: press feed, pick-and-place cell, conveyor ingress).
- Specify the required protected height and resolution for each guarding location in millimeters to meet your risk assessment requirements.
- Identify the required Performance Level (PL) per ISO 13849 or Safety Integrity Level (SIL) per IEC 62061 that each light curtain must support.
- Indicate the mounting constraints or single-line electrical diagram (SLD) limitations at each guard location (for example: limited cabinet space, exotic mounting angles, existing conduit paths).
- Which safety network endpoints or connectors must the light curtain support to integrate with your safety controller (for example: safety I/O terminal, safety network gateway, plug type)?
- Estimate the target response time budget for the light curtain safety function in milliseconds to meet your machine cycle-time requirement.
Supply laser area scanner units
- List the zones (swept-area detection fields) you need for each scanner and the required detection range in meters for each zone.
- Describe the typical object profiles and maximum approach speeds the scanner must detect (for example: human torso at 1.5 m/s, forklift at 2 m/s).
- Specify the functional safety ratings required by your risk assessment for scanner-enabled functions (for example: PL d, SIL 2).
- Identify any environmental constraints for scanner installation such as dust class, washdown, reflective surfaces, or mounting height limits.
- Which configured safety responses should the scanner trigger on detection (for example: safe-stop, speed-reduction, warning relay), and which control endpoint receives that signal?
- Provide any required certification or site-specific testing constraints for scanners such as electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) zones or factory acceptance test (FAT) expectations.
Supply interlocked guard hardware and locking systems
- Describe each guarded access (door, gate, removable panel) that requires an interlock and the expected frequency of access during production.
- Specify required lock characteristics such as mechanical trapped-key, monitored lock status, manual release, or electromechanical lock with monitored auxiliary contact.
- Identify whether interlock actuation must support machine modes (setup, maintenance, automatic run) and how mode changes are authorized in your workflow.
- Which standards or site procedures must the interlock assembly satisfy (for example: lockout/tagout LOTO compatibility, ISO 14119 requirements)?
- Specify the mechanical mounting interface or cabinet cutout details for each interlock so fitment is validated against your machine frames.
- Estimate expected mean time between failures (MTBF) or required maintenance interval for locking systems to align spare parts planning.
Supply safety PLC and safety controller hardware
- Identify the required safety controller architecture (distributed safety I/O, central safety PLC, or safety gateway) and any rack or cabinet space constraints.
- Specify the required safety function capacity such as number of safety inputs, safety outputs, and safe motion channels to cover all devices.
- Which safety network protocols or fieldbus endpoints must the safety controller support to integrate with your machine controller and HMIs?
- List any cabinet-level environmental ratings or certifications required for the controller such as temperature range or ingress protection (IP) rating.
- Provide your required diagnostic coverage or response time for safety functions handled by the controller to sustain the target cycle time.
- Identify whether you require spare CPU or I/O modules included in the hardware scope for uptime resilience.
Supply safety mats and pressure-sensitive devices
- Describe the floor areas or approach zones where safety mats or pressure-sensitive devices are required and the expected load profiles.
- Specify mat size, sensing resolution, and environmental constraints such as oil exposure or washdown requirements.
- Which safety function should the mat trigger (for example: safe-stop type 0, Category 3 stop with restart authorization)?
- Identify whether the mat must be integrated with perimeter guards, light curtains, or laser scanners for layered protection and which control endpoint handles fusion logic.
- Provide any housekeeping or floor-mounting constraints such as adhesive compatibility, ramped edges, or flush-mount requirements.
- Estimate expected replacement interval and whether spare mats should be delivered with the initial scope.
Install and wire safety devices onsite
- List the site access constraints for installation such as crane availability, shift work restrictions, hot work permits, or limited lift clearances.
- Specify your single-line electrical diagram (SLD) or point-to-point wiring diagram availability and whether we should create or update them.
- Indicate the expected on-machine downtime allowed for installation per access window to maintain production targets.
- Provide the owner of lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures and whether on-site LOTO supervision will be provided during mechanical work.
- Identify whether low-voltage control wiring or 24V DC safety circuits must be segregated from power cabling in your cabinet layouts.
- Describe any site-specific inspection or permit steps that must be completed before wiring (for example: electrical inspection, local authority sign-off).
Program and configure safety PLC logic
- Provide the list of safety functions to implement in the safety PLC including their safe states, interlocks, and sequence diagrams.
- Identify required timing constraints and cycle-time targets for each safety function (for example: reset delay, restart interlock window in milliseconds).
- Specify whether the safety logic must implement redundancy or cross-channel comparison to achieve the target PL or SIL.
- Which programming languages or toolchains are required for your controller validation documentation (for example: ladder logic with annotated safety block diagrams)?
- Detail the required HMI messages, operator prompts, and fault codes the safety PLC should expose for maintenance troubleshooting.
- Identify any existing control logic that must be preserved or handed off to the machine PLC during safety actions to avoid unintended cycle-time penalties.
Integrate safety I/O with machine control system
- Describe the machine controller type and the specific I/O handoff points where safety signals must be mapped (for example: E-stop input, guarded door lock output).
- Specify the safety network endpoint format and addressing to be used for handoff (for example: safety I/O module address, safety network node).
- Identify required functional handoffs such as which safety function authorizes a restart vs which function requires manual reset at the HMI.
- What defines done for the control integration handoff so that machine cycle-time is preserved and safety signals are authoritative?
- List any legacy control behaviors that must be emulated during integration (for example: maintained outputs during setup cycles, soft interlocks).
- Identify any cybersecurity or network segregation requirements for safety network endpoints per IEC 62443 or site policy.
Install emergency stop stations and safety relays
- Specify the locations and quantity of emergency stop stations required and whether pendant or wall-mounted units are preferred.
- Identify required contact configurations for emergency stops and safety relays (for example: force-guided contacts, NC/NO combos).
- Describe the expected reset process after an emergency stop including who is authorized to reset and whether a powered restart is allowed.
- List any distributed safety relay modules that must be used to preserve existing wiring harnesses or for remote E-stop zones.
- Provide the mechanical or enclosure requirements for E-stop stations such as IP rating, stainless steel for washdown, or vandal-resistant housings.
- Indicate if emergency stop wiring must be segregated in the cabinet or run in separate conduit per your plant electrical standards.
Install and commission two-hand control stations
- Describe the machine operations that require two-hand control and the required timing window between button actuations in milliseconds.
- Specify required guard interlocks, palm switches, or presence-sensing devices that must be coordinated with the two-hand control logic.
- Identify ergonomic or operator-access constraints such as reach distances and mounting height for two-hand stations.
- Which acceptance test will confirm correct two-hand control behavior such as forced simultaneous press test or time-window verification?
- Provide required labeling, instructions, and training materials for operators who will use two-hand controls during production.
- Indicate whether redundant two-hand channels or diagnostic reporting are required to achieve the target PL or SIL for this function.
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Mutual Commit
Finalize commercial and legal terms, acceptance criteria, delivery milestones, and ongoing support responsibilities.
Agreement Modules
- Master Services Agreement (MSA)
- Statement of Work (SOW)
- Purchase Agreement / Order Confirmation
- Service Level Agreement (SLA) / Maintenance & Support Agreement
- Acceptance & Validation Agreement
- Delivery & Milestone Schedule
- Change Order Agreement
- Warranty & Workmanship Addendum
- Payment Schedule & Invoice Terms
- Confidentiality Agreement (NDA)
- Safety Standards Compliance Addendum
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Deployment
Operationalize rollout with readiness checks, execution, and outcome validation.
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Pre-Deployment Readiness
Capture concrete readiness facts — site access, machine revisions, control endpoints, owners, permits, and timing the deployment depends on.
Pre-Deployment Questions
Environment and site access
- Site(s) included in this deployment (use the purchase-order site name). For multiple sites, list each site on a separate line so we can plan logistics and travel.
- Named site contact(s) for deployment per site (name, role, phone or email). Include who will provide site access on arrival so we can coordinate check-in.
- Are contractor access credentials, visitor badges, and required site safety orientations in place for our team? (so we can schedule on-site work)
Controls and configuration readiness
- Which control environments will be available for integration and commissioning? (select the best fit so we know where to run tests)
- Are control endpoints and safety network segments approved and accessible for our integration testing? (so we can validate connections without delays)
- Have any machine hardware or safety-interface revisions that affect installation been identified and frozen for the targeted site(s)? (so we avoid rework during deployment)
People and ownership
- Buyer's safety owner responsible for final safety acceptance (name, role, email). This person will sign acceptance forms and own final validation.
- Buyer's maintenance or controls owner who will provide access and make any required control-side changes (name, role, email).
- Who will approve and witness commissioning and validation tests? (select one; if multiple, indicate here and list names in the previous fields)
Timing and constraints
- Earliest available date for on-site deployment activities at each site (list per site and include timezone). This lets us reserve crews and equipment.
- Production blackout windows, shift exclusions, or site-specific downtime constraints that block installation (list recurring hours/dates and timezone).
- Are any permits, regulatory filings, or third-party inspections required and not yet completed before commissioning? (so we can confirm gating items)
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Integration & Configuration
Lock exact configuration values, safety network endpoints, control logic handoff points, and test scripts the deployment team will use.
Configuration Details
Integration & Configuration — Primary endpoints
- Select the primary safety network protocol for this deployment (single select)
- If you selected 'Other' above, specify the exact safety protocol name (free text)
- If a second safety network protocol is required, name it here (leave blank if none)
- Safety gateway hostname or IP address to be used during commissioning (format: hostname or IPv4 address)
- Safety network TCP/UDP port to use (numeric — Default: 44818)
Control System & Handoff Points
- Primary control system category (the deployment will integrate here)
- Control endpoint identifier consumed by the build (e.g., PLC rack/slot or controller ID — exact string or tag path)
- Exact control logic handoff tag/variable name where safety outputs are presented to the machine control (format: PLC tag or variable)
- Names of the safety-to-standard control signals that the deployment will write (one signal name per entry; provide the canonical name used in your PLC)
- If handoff requires switching to a different network or VLAN during commissioning, provide the target VLAN ID (numeric) consumed at Installation & Commissioning
Device Identification & Mapping
- Will you provide a device inventory CSV with device unique IDs for direct import? (Yes/No)
- If Yes, provide the file path or repository URL where the device CSV will be available at deployment (format: https://... or file path)
- Location (URL or repository path) of the I/O mapping file the build will consume (format: https://... or file path)
- Exact device ID or tag used for the primary safety controller (single identifier, free text)
- Provide the naming convention prefix/suffix used for safety tags in the PLC (example format guidance: 'SAFE_' or 'S_' — enter exact string)
Functional Safety Targets & Standards
- Primary standards approach for acceptance and verification (select one)
- If using ISO 13849, specify the target Performance Level (PL) the deployment will validate (select one)
- If using IEC 62061, specify the target Safety Integrity Level (SIL) the deployment will validate (select one)
- Maximum allowed safety function response time (ms) that the configuration must meet (numeric — Default: 100 ms)
- Maximum allowable impact on machine cycle time from safety functions (percentage, numeric — Default: 5)
Test Scripts & Acceptance Criteria (consumed during Integration & Configuration and Installation & Commissioning)
- Primary repository or URL location for verification test scripts the deployment will execute (format: https://...)
- Type of test harness the deployment will use to run verification scripts (select one)
- Acceptance test pass criteria document location (URL or path) consumed by the build (format: https://... or file path)
- Number of successful test cycles required per safety function for acceptance (numeric — Default: 3)
- Name or role that owns the verification scripts and test updates (exact team or person — free text)
Network & Addressing Plan
- Provide the CIDR block the safety network will use (format: x.x.x.x/nn)
- Safety network VLAN ID to configure (numeric — Default: 100)
- Management VLAN ID for device management and commissioning (numeric — Default: 200)
- DNS hostname to register for the safety gateway (format: host.example.local)
- Syslog or log destination host/URL where safety event logs will be sent (format: host:port or https://...)
Authentication, Accounts & Secrets Handling (identifiers only — do NOT paste secrets)
- Integration account username or service account name for control-system access (non-secret identifier)
- Owner of the credential (team or person responsible for supplying the secret at kickoff — exact name)
- Secure channel you will use to transfer secrets at deployment kickoff (select one)
- If using 'Your secrets manager', provide the name of your secrets manager instance (identifier only — e.g., 'company-vault')
- Is certificate-based authentication required for any safety device or gateway? (Yes/No)
Safety Behavior & Fail-Safe Defaults (consumed during Commissioning)
- Default safe state to command on detected safety fault (select one)
- If you selected 'Custom' above, provide the exact fallback behaviour command or sequence the deployment must configure (free text)
- Timeout before invoking the default safe state when a safety communication loss occurs (seconds — Default: 1)
- Maximum tolerated consecutive communication faults before lockout (count — Default: 3)
Monitoring, Logging & Alerting
- Event log retention period in days (numeric — Default: 365)
- Alerting destination for high-severity safety events (choose one)
- If 'Other', provide the exact alerting endpoint or channel identifier (free text)
- Alert threshold for safety faults that triggers immediate escalation (number of faults per hour — Default: 1)
- Preferred log format for exported verification results (select one)
Responsibilities & Sign-off Mappings (single value per mapping)
- Role responsible for final control-logic sign-off (select one)
- Role responsible for on-site commissioning activities (select one)
- Name of the single point of contact for deployment questions (exact person and role — free text)
- Provide the canonical change-control ticket or project ID the deployment should reference (exact ID string)
Final Configuration Artifacts & Delivery
- URL or file path where the final configured PLC program will be published for commissioning (format: https://... or file path)
- URL or file path where the final validation reports and compliance documentation will be uploaded (format: https://... or file path)
- Will the deployment include a post-commissioning configuration snapshot (Yes/No)
- If Yes, specify the snapshot filename convention the build will create (example guidance: 'safety-snapshot-YYYYMMDD.bin' — enter exact pattern)
- Any non-standard configuration override the build must apply (enter exact key=value pairs one per line)
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Installation & Commissioning
Execute hardware installation, sensor alignment, control integration, and commissioning with clear owners, sequencing, and verification steps.
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Go-Live Safety Validation
Formal acceptance checklist to verify safety function performance, validation test results, and regulatory compliance before declaring the system operational.
Checklist items
- LOTO clearance form completed and signed
- As-built configuration baseline exported and signed
- Execution of formal validation test suite with logs uploaded
- Safety function performance report delivered and accepted
- Functional verification of safety inputs/outputs, interlocks, and E-stops completed
- Fault-insertion and fail-safe behaviour tests executed and recorded
- Regulatory/compliance documentation package submitted and acknowledged
- Operational acceptance form signed by buyer's authorized approver
- Operator and maintenance training completed with attendance records
- Post-go-live monitoring and rollback plan agreed and signed
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Success
Confirm outcomes, store validation records and compliance documentation, and maintain a shared channel for issues, enhancements, and training updates.
Success Reviews
- Go-Live Health Check (weeks 1-4)
- First Measurement Review (weeks 4-10)
- 90-Day Performance Review (around day 90)
- Ongoing Operational Review (quarterly)
Issues & Enhancements
- Schedule required operator refresher training and record completion in the shared channel.
- Prepare a short operator feedback summary covering false trips and usability issues for the next review.
- Present consolidated 90-day performance data
- Produce a clear status for each acceptance criterion documented in Go-Live Safety Validation and identify outstanding items.
- Agree a final remediation and retest timeline to close any remaining gaps.
- Ensure validation and compliance artifacts are stored in the agreed shared location for audits.
- Publish a 90-day performance summary that lists criterion status, evidence links, and remediation owners.
- Schedule retest events and update the validation test plan with lessons learned.
- Archive finalized validation reports and compliance documentation to the agreed repository with access instructions.
- Trend review of key metrics
- Ensure safety function availability and safety-related unplanned downtime remain within acceptable operational bounds.
- Bring persistent open issues toward closure with agreed timelines.
- Maintain up-to-date validation and compliance documentation for audit readiness.
- Update the shared issue tracker with current statuses and target closure dates for all open items.
- Publish a quarterly compliance packet that includes the latest validation logs and change history.
- Re-confirm success criteria and owners
- Confirm the deployment is functionally complete and critical commissioning steps are closed or scheduled.
- Verify operator training completion status and list any outstanding training actions.
- Produce a prioritized remediation list for early issues with target dates for closure.
- Publish a go-live validation report that consolidates commissioning logs and open issues.
- Schedule remediation tasks with clear target dates for each open item from the health check.
- Complete operator proficiency checks for all shifts and record completion in the shared channel.
- Present first 30- to 60-day metrics
- Determine whether safety function availability and safety-related unplanned downtime are trending toward the targets in Go-Live Safety Validation.
- Identify root causes for any metric gaps and agree a time-bound corrective plan.
- Schedule retest windows and any required configuration changes to validate remediation.
- Deliver a corrective action tracker listing each remediation task, expected result, and resolution date.
- Upload the next set of validation test logs to the shared repository after remediation tests complete.
- Deployment and system validation walkthrough
- Classify each acceptance criterion status
- Root cause analysis for gaps
- Open issues and tickets burn-down
- Operator onboarding and training status
- Review validation test pass rate and failed test details
- Agree final remediation and retest schedule
- Training refreshes and operational changes
- Agree corrective action plan toward stabilization
- Early operational signals and alerts review
- Validation records and compliance documentation handoff
- Compliance readiness and documentation updates
- Short sync on enhancement requests and planned maintenance windows
- Open issues, temporary mitigations, and remediation plan
- If applicable, incumbent system wind-down status