A number of processing steps in automotive plants require periodic services to load up raw material and clear away production waste. It is not unusual to have an access door with a safety interlock to gain access to the machine in order to perform those functions. Without a safety system, the operator would have to hit a stop button, wait for everything to stop, and then usually also wait for a timed delay before gaining access. With the Safe Stop 1 (SS1) function that can be provided with a functional safety encoder and safety controller, the door can be interlocked to the safe stop function so that as soon as the equipment has reached a safe stop, the operator has access to service the work station. Since the motors are still energized, when the door is closed the process can start back up again immediately, which can save valuable cycle time.