Manufacturing System and Method

An intermediate control device for implementation in an automated manufacturing system, the intermediate control device comprising:

• a plurality of input terminals capable of being coupled to a plurality of sensors and receiving a plurality of sensor signals therefrom;
• a first output terminal capable of being coupled to a programmable logic controller and sending an output signal thereto;
• and
• a processing component capable of determining whether to send the output signal based at least in part upon at least one of the sensor signals, the output signal indicating a failure of at least one of the plurality of sensors.

A method of performing a manufacturing operation, the method comprising:

• sensing a presence of a component at a sensor;
• conducting a manufacturing operation that is capable of effecting a stress on the sensor;
• determining whether an output signal from the sensor has taken on a characteristic indicative of a failure of the sensor;
• and
• if it is determined that the output signal has taken on the characteristic, sending an output signal to a controller.