Incorporation of Safety Technology can Maximize Robot Productivity
Published on : Wednesday 24-06-2020
Key takeaways from this article:
• The cumbersome designs and limited skilled workforce are increasing the need for robots.
• As companies consider robots, they need to determine the alternatives of traditional safety devices to maximize productivity.
• Some companies focus to minimize the workforce fatal or injuries rate may bring opportunities for robots.
Robot productivity is not limited to traditional safety devices. The manufactures across the industries are incorporating robots to enhance the quality, reduce costs, and employee productivity, as the companies are focused to maximize production from their automation. Moreover, there are various traditional safety technologies such as light curtains and mechanical guards, which are often used to protect humans from robots.
In the global market, American workplaces are widely using industrial robots in reality. According to the 2019 North American robot unit orders are up 1.6% compared to 2018 results, with 29,988 robotic units ordered. Order revenue for 2019 is down 1.3%, closing the year with USD 1.681 billion. These robotic machines bear little resemblance to their science-fiction counterparts, usually taking the form of powerful, heavyweight automated arms that perform tasks such as welding, painting, or assembly within the confines of a cage or other enclosure. Recently, however, technological advances have begun to allow for a greater diversity of robotic systems in the workplace.
The Use of Safety Technologies
Mechanical guards and light curtains must be mounted outside the range of the robot's movement. A robot arm that travels outside the perimeter envelope creates another hazard. If space is critical, mechanical stops can be placed on the robot to limit its movement.
A safety light curtain "trips" when a light beam is momentarily broken as someone crosses into a hazardous work cell area. As a result, it is necessary to use a "guard mode" controller which latches in the de-energized position until manually reset. The operation stops work cell activity or causes equipment to return to a safe operating position.
Safety light curtains are controlled reliable and provide redundant outputs. Using both and wiring them in series minimizes problems with single component failures. For added safety, it is preferable to include the output used to trigger the status, or alarm relay, as a third safety circuit if available. Contacting the protected machine's manufacturer can help determine the best way to interlock the light curtain's control switches to the machine control circuit.
“Rockwell Automation GuardShield light curtains bring innovative transceiver technology to safeguard perimeter of robotic work cells and other hazardous equipment”
Building Safety into the System
Because collaborative robots are intended to share workspaces with humans, safety measures are built into their design. However, despite these inherent protections, collaborative robots still pose significant risks.
“One of the most common myths that our standards community is trying to dispel is that a collaborative robot is safe out of the box”
The manufacturer has control over the robot’s design but not how it’s configured (a robot arm from one manufacturer might be combined with an end effector from another), programmed, or used. It’s very important to distinguish between the collaborative robot and the collaborative robot system. The power/force-limited robot arm could be integrated into a system that’s not really appropriate for collaborative use. No matter how soft or rounded the robot arm is, if its end effector or its workpiece is sharp, a person could still be injured.