Dynamic Status Indication

Clearly Communicate Advanced Statuses

Indicator lights have long been the visual language of machines. However, traditional indicators are limited—typically offering 3-5 colors to represent a wide range of statuses. Sometimes this palette isn’t enough to capture the complexities of modern machines and processes.

Programmable RGB indicators let you choose from a wider variety of colors and change them as needed. Many RGB indicators also come with pre-defined animations and advanced functions to expand indication possibilities and represent active machine statuses.

Overview

Applications

Products

Why All the Colors and Animations?

Indicators and safety solutions on workstations

Add Nuance to the Visual Language of Machines

Get More Insight at a Glance

Dynamic statuses are machine or process conditions that are often challenging to convey with a traditional solid color or flashing light. Examples include machine warmup state, transitional states, takt time remaining, fill level, and more.

Advanced indication requires a broader spectrum of color options. More colors allow each status or assembly step to have a unique indication from other steps, eliminating confusion and speeding up interpretation of the signals.

Additional colors and animations also communicate advanced states visually and intuitively for operators and supervisors alike. They add nuance to the visual language of your machines, conveying more status information at a glance compared to traditional indicators.

Keep reading to learn more about indication solutions for dynamic machine statuses, or contact us to discuss your specific application.

Example Applications

More Colors and Animations, Greater Possibilities

Use Case: Machine Startup and Transition States

Many machines have a “warm-up” period after being turned on before the machine is ready to go.

With traditional indication, an indicator light might be off when the machine is off and then turn green when the machine is turned on. This can be confusing to an operator if the light is green, but the machine is still warming up.

An indicator with a 2-color rotating animation mimics the “loading” icons used in PC environments and can indicate that the machine is working but not ready to start the next process.

The animation can then turn to a solid light when the machine is ready to go. The operator then can easily identify the state of the machine.

Operators can also spend warm-up time on other productive activities versus just waiting.

K50 touch button used for takt time monitoring at an assembly station

Clearer Visual Feedback for Assembly Processes

Use Case: Takt Time Indication

Programmable LED touch buttons can be used to indicate takt time in assembly processes. This dynamic, visual feedback can help keep an assembler on track and aware of how much time has elapsed without having to look away from work.

Takt time is important to manufacturers because it represents the rate of production that is needed to match demand and maximize profits.

Using the IO-Link compatible K50 Pro touch button ensures operators are maintaining takt time.

Sequence mode is included with IO-Link models and can be used as a timer. The bright LED lights are easy-to-see and installed directly in an assembler's sightlines for increased efficiency and less distraction from the task at hand.

TL50 tower light with IO-Link used to indicate fill level of a hopper

Visualization of Dynamic Statuses From A Distance

Use Case: Tank Level Monitoring

Operators, material handlers, and supervisors need to see the level of product in the hopper. However, local displays are not visible throughout the factory.

The TL50 Pro tower light shows fill level through distinct, color-coded segments, and is visible from across the factory floor so operators can quickly respond to high or low-level alerts.

The IO-Link master directly converts the laser measurement into an easy to understand fill level based on user-defined thresholds.

Personnel can see the fill level status from a distance. In the event of an alert, the staff can identify whether the level is too high or too low, so they are immediately prepared to respond to the situation.