Safety control system and method for battery production lines

Abstract

A safety control system and method for a battery production line are provided. The battery production line includes at least one independent safety area, and the safety control system includes at least a safety control unit (201), production equipment and a safety relay (202) corresponding to the production equipment within the safety area, the production equipment including at least a robot (203), wherein the safety control unit (201) is for generating a safety control signal in response to a safety trigger event, the safety relay (202) is connected to the safety control unit (201) and is for transmitting a shutdown control signal to the robot (203) controller in response to the safety control signal, and the robot (203) controller is connected to the safety relay (202) and is for controlling the robot (203) to enter a safe state in response to the shutdown control signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-reference to Related Applications This disclosure is proposed based on a Chinese patent application with application number 202311190737.X, filing date September 15, 2023, and invention title "Safety Control System and Method for Battery Production Line", and claims the priority of the Chinese patent application, and all the contents of the Chinese patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of safety control technology, and relate to, but are not limited to, a safety control system and method for a battery production line.

Background Art

[0003] New energy batteries are being increasingly widely applied in life and industry. For example, new energy vehicles equipped with batteries are becoming widely used, and batteries are also being increasingly applied in the energy storage field and so on.

[0004] Safety control in a production line usually refers to the emergency stop control of the production line. When a risk to personal or equipment safety occurs, it stops the inverter or motor of the production line through the emergency stop button on the operation panel or the logic judgment inside the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), and cuts off the power supply of each proportional valve and solenoid valve, so as to ensure the safety of personnel and equipment in the production line.

[0005] Currently, the production process for lithium-ion battery modules involves various different processes and uses a variety of equipment. The production line for lithium-ion battery modules is divided into multiple sub-areas, completing the production of battery products at each process stage. Therefore, ensuring safety controls between sub-areas, process stages, and equipment to guarantee the safety of personnel on the production line and achieve rapid and safe production is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] To address the challenges present in related technologies, embodiments of this disclosure provide a safety control system and method for a battery production line that can enable safe and rapid production on the production line and also guarantee the safety of personnel and equipment on the production line. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In a first aspect, the Disclosure provides a safety control system for a battery production line, the battery production line comprising at least one independent safety area, the safety control system comprising at least a safety control unit, production equipment and a safety relay corresponding to the production equipment within the safety area, the production equipment comprising at least a robot, wherein the safety control unit is for generating a safety control signal in response to a safety trigger event, the safety relay is connected to the safety control unit and transmits a shutdown control signal to the robot's controller in response to the safety control signal, and the robot's controller is connected to the safety relay and controls the robot to enter a safe state in response to the shutdown control signal.

[0008] In the above embodiment, the battery production line is partitioned, safety trigger events are detected in each safety area, and in response to the occurrence of a safety trigger event in a safety area, safety control is performed on the robot in the safety area, safely isolating the robot from equipment and personnel in the safety area, ensuring the safety of production line equipment, workers and maintenance workers, improving the reliability of the entire battery production line, and providing a reliable safety control protection mechanism for robots and mechanical equipment in the production line.

[0009] In some embodiments, the safety control system further includes a safety detection unit installed within the safety area, the safety detection unit being connected to the safety control unit and performing detection on the entrance to the safety area and obtaining detection results, the safety detection unit further generating a safety trigger event in response to the detection result indicating that the object to be detected has entered the safety area from the entrance to the safety area, and transmitting the safety trigger event to the safety control unit.

[0010] In the above embodiment, a sensor detects the entrance to the safety area, and when the detected object enters the safety area through the entrance, a safety trigger event is generated. The safety control unit responds to the safety trigger event by controlling the robot within the safety area, thereby ensuring the safety of production line equipment, workers, and maintenance personnel.

[0011] In some embodiments, the safety control unit further generates the safety control signal in response to an entry command transmitted by a transport cart, where the transport cart is used to transport materials for the battery production line.

[0012] In the above embodiment, safety control was performed on production equipment and robots within the safety area in response to a command to enter the transport cart, preventing the production equipment and robots from damaging materials on the transport cart while it was moving, and ensuring safe production on the production line.

[0013] In some embodiments, the robot's controller is further configured to control the robot to either stop or move to a safe position in response to the shutdown control signal.

[0014] In the above embodiment, safety control was performed on the robot within the safety area, safely isolating the robot from equipment and personnel within the safety area, and ensuring the safety of production line equipment, workers, and maintenance workers.

[0015] In some embodiments, the safety area includes at least two production devices, the robot is equipped with a robot control unit, the robot's controller generates robot control signals in response to control operations on the robot control unit, and the safety relay further transmits the shutdown control signal to other production devices in the safety area other than the robot in response to the robot control signal transmitted by the robot's controller.

[0016] In the above embodiment, by installing a robot control unit on the robot body, the safety control unit controls other production equipment within the safety area based on the control signals from the robot body, thereby achieving safe production on the production line.

[0017] In some embodiments, the at least one independent safety area includes an adjacent first safety area and a second safety area, the safety control unit of the first safety area is for generating a safety control signal for the first safety area in response to a safety trigger event of the first safety area, and the safety control unit of the second safety area is for receiving a safety control signal transmitted by the safety control unit of the first safety area and generating a safety control signal for the second safety area in response to the safety control signal for the first safety area.

[0018] In the above embodiment, when a safety trigger event occurs in the previous safety area, safety control is also performed in the next safety area based on the same safety trigger event. This avoids the problem of material discharged from the previous safety area colliding with a robot moving within the safety area as it enters the next safety area, damaging the material and preventing subsequent processes from being executed, thereby improving the reliability of production on the production line.

[0019] In some embodiments, the production equipment further includes a cylinder and a motor, and the robot controller, the cylinder controller and the motor controller are each connected to different safety relays, the safety relay connected to the cylinder controller is for transmitting a shutdown control signal to the cylinder controller in response to the safety control signal, and the safety relay connected to the motor controller is for transmitting a shutdown control signal to the motor controller in response to the safety control signal.

[0020] In the above embodiment, safety control was performed on at least two production devices in the production line using the interlock control method of the safety control system, thereby improving control efficiency and ensuring safe production on the production line.

[0021] In a second aspect, the Disclosure provides a method for controlling the safety of a battery production line, which is applicable to a safety control system for a battery production line, wherein the battery production line includes at least one independent safety area, the safety control system includes at least a safety control unit, production equipment and a safety relay corresponding to the production equipment within the safety area, and the production equipment includes at least a robot, wherein the method includes the safety control unit generating a safety control signal in response to a safety trigger event, the safety relay transmitting a shutdown control signal to the robot's controller in response to the safety control signal, and the robot's controller controlling the robot to enter a safe state in response to the shutdown control signal.

[0022] In the above embodiment, the battery production line is partitioned, safety trigger events are detected in each safety area, and in response to the occurrence of a safety trigger event in a safety area, safety control is performed on the robot in the safety area, safely isolating the robot from equipment and personnel in the safety area, ensuring the safety of production line equipment, workers and maintenance workers, improving the reliability of the entire battery production line, and providing a reliable safety control protection mechanism for robots and mechanical equipment in the production line.

[0023] In some embodiments, the safety control system further includes a safety detection unit installed within the safety area, the method further includes the safety detection unit performing a detection on the entrance to the safety area and obtaining a detection result, and the safety detection unit generating a safety trigger event in response to the detection result indicating that the object to be detected has entered the safety area from the entrance to the safety area, and transmitting the safety trigger event to the safety control unit.

[0024] Sensors detected the entrance to the safety area, and when the detected object entered the safety area through the entrance, a safety trigger event was generated. In response to the safety trigger event, the safety control unit controlled the robots within the safety area, ensuring the safety of production line equipment, workers, and maintenance personnel.

[0025] In some embodiments, the safety area includes at least two production machines, the robot is equipped with a robot control unit, and the method further includes the robot's controller generating a robot control signal in response to a control operation to the robot control unit, and the safety relay transmitting the shutdown control signal to other production machines in the safety area other than the robot in response to the robot control signal transmitted by the robot's controller.

[0026] In the above embodiment, by installing a robot control unit on the robot body, the safety control unit controls other production equipment in the safety area based on the control signal of the robot body, realizing the safe production of the production line.

[0027] The above description is only an outline of the technical solution of the present disclosure. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present disclosure, it may be implemented according to the content of the specification. And in order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and understandable, the following specific embodiments of the present disclosure are given.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram of the safety area division of the battery production line according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram 1 of the safety control system of the battery production line according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram 2 of the safety control system of the battery production line according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] It is a selectable schematic flowchart of the safety control method of the battery production line according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] It is a schematic diagram of the safety control principle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] It is a schematic diagram of the safety control principle of the robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] It is a schematic diagram of the safety control principle of the valve island according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] It is a schematic diagram of the safety control principle of the remote I / O module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] It is a schematic diagram of the safety control principle of the inverter and servo controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0029] To further clarify the purpose, technical proposal and merits of this disclosure, the disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described herein should not be considered limiting, and all other embodiments that a person skilled in the art could obtain without creative effort are all included within the scope of this disclosure.

[0030] In the following descriptions, “some embodiments” refers to a subset of all possible embodiments, but it should be understood that “some embodiments” may be the same subset or different subsets of all possible embodiments, and can be combined with each other as long as it does not create a contradiction. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the embodiments of this disclosure have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art relating to the embodiments of this disclosure. The terms used in the embodiments of this disclosure are for the purpose of describing the objects of the embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit the disclosure.

[0031] Currently, new energy batteries are seeing increasingly widespread applications in daily life and industry. They are not only used in energy storage and power systems such as hydroelectric, thermal, wind, and solar power plants, but are also widely applied in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric cars, as well as in various fields such as aerospace. As the application areas of power batteries continue to expand, market demand for them continues to grow.

[0032] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the battery may be a battery cell. A battery cell refers to a basic unit that can realize the interconversion of chemical energy and electrical energy, and can be used to manufacture a battery module or battery pack to supply power to a power consumption device. A battery cell may also be a secondary battery, which refers to a battery cell that can continue to be used by activating the active material by charging after the battery cell has discharged. A battery cell may be a lithium-ion battery, sodium-ion battery, sodium-lithium-ion battery, lithium metal battery, sodium metal battery, lithium-sulfur battery, magnesium-ion battery, nickel-metal hydride battery, nickel-cadmium battery, lead-acid battery, etc., and is not limited to these in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0033] Currently, in the production process of lithium-ion battery modules, product production is completed at each process stage by different sub-areas. However, materials need to move in and out between these different areas, and different robots are used in each sub-area to transport, process, or detect materials. Furthermore, technicians may enter the production line to adjust equipment or set programs. Therefore, the challenge now is to ensure that battery materials do not damage equipment on the production line when moving between sub-areas, that moving robots do not damage materials, and that equipment and robots operating on the production line do not injure technicians.

[0034] Based on the above considerations, in order to solve the problem of safe production in a battery production line, a safety control method for power lithium battery module production line equipment can be realized from two aspects: the partitioning of safety areas and the safety control principle of the safety areas. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the partitioning of safety areas in a battery production line according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the battery module production line is partitioned into eight subdivided safety areas, for example, the first safety area 101 to the eighth safety area 108 in Figure 1. Here, the first safety area 101 can be used to realize the material input process of the battery module production line, and the production equipment in the first safety area 101 is the material input equipment. The second safety area 102 can be used to realize processes such as battery core matching, battery core side tape application, tape application detection, battery core small unit grouping, and battery core wide surface input. The equipment is a wide-face tape application machine, and the third safety area 103 to the sixth safety area 106 (i.e., the third safety area 103, the fourth safety area 104, the fifth safety area 105, and the sixth safety area 106) can be used to implement the end-face tape application process for the battery core, and the production equipment in the third safety area 103 to the sixth safety area 106 is an end-face tape application machine, the seventh safety area 107 can be used to implement the lamination process for the battery core, and the production equipment in the seventh safety area 107 is a lamination machine, and the eighth safety area 108 can be used to implement the module pressurization process for the battery core, and the production equipment in the eighth safety area 108 is a pressurization machine.

[0035] Each safety area is surrounded by a fence, and safety components such as grates and roll shutters are installed at material entrances and exits. The purpose of these safety compartments is primarily to ensure the independence of work within each safety area and to prevent workers from accidentally entering a work area and causing safety injuries. Next, as shown in Figure 1, each safety area is equipped with safety components such as safety-related emergency stop devices and safety door locks. The main functions of these safety devices are to safely stop equipment in emergencies and to safely stop equipment when equipment workers enter the safety area for repair or maintenance.

[0036] In embodiments of this disclosure, the emergency stop device is a type of safety device installed on a production line, primarily used to protect the safety of personnel and equipment by stopping the operation of machinery or equipment on the production line in an emergency. In the event of an emergency, a technician on the production line can press the emergency stop switch, which immediately cuts off the power and power transmission to the machinery or equipment on the production line, stopping the operation of the machinery or equipment. After the machinery or equipment has stopped, the emergency stop switch must be manually returned to its original position to restart the machinery or equipment.

[0037] Safety door locks are installed on the safety doors of each safety area. When a safety door is opened, the safety control unit responds to a safety trigger event corresponding to the safety door lock, controlling the machinery and equipment on the production line to protect the safety of any person or equipment that enters through the safety door.

[0038] In some embodiments, the safety grid is a non-contact safety protection device consisting of infrared sensors in a production line. It can ensure a safe distance between workers and machinery by forming an invisible optical barrier between workers and hazardous areas in the safety area. When the infrared light detects that material or other equipment has entered through the grid, the safety control unit performs safety controls on the machinery or equipment within the safety area.

[0039] In some embodiments, a roll shutter also serves as a safety barrier separating a hazardous area from a work area within a safety area. When the roll shutter is opened, a safety control unit performs safety control on machinery or equipment within the safety area.

[0040] The safety control system according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be applied not only to lithium battery production processes but also to any automated production line to ensure safe production on the production line.

[0041] The safety control method for a battery production line according to the embodiments of this disclosure is implemented by a safety control system, the battery production line includes at least one independent safety area, the safety control system includes at least a safety control unit within the safety area, production equipment and safety relays corresponding to the production equipment, and the production equipment includes at least a robot. Here, the safety control unit may be any one of a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), a single-chip microcontroller, an intermediate computer and a host computer, and the safety control unit may include a processor and a memory storing instructions that can be executed by the processor, and when the instructions are executed by the processor, the safety control method according to the embodiments of this disclosure is implemented. The production equipment is equipment in each safety area on the production line, for example, the production equipment in the safety area corresponding to the material input process is a material input robot, equipment operated by a cylinder or material input equipment operated by a motor. A safety relay may be considered a control switch and is used to receive control signals transmitted by a safety control unit in response to safety trigger events such as emergency stop devices, safety doors, grilles, or roll shutters. The safety relay transmits the control signals via a voltage-free contact to each power-consuming device on the production line, thereby providing safety control to each power-consuming device on the production line.

[0042] Figure 2 shows a safety control system for a battery production line according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 2, the production line includes at least one independent safety area, and the safety control system includes at least a safety control unit 201 in each safety area, production equipment and safety relays 202 corresponding to the production equipment, the safety control unit 201 being connected to safety components such as an emergency stop device 204, a safety door lock 205, a grate 206 or a roll shutter, respectively, within the safety area. The production equipment includes at least a robot 203 within the safety area.

[0043] Here, the safety control unit 201 is for generating a safety control signal in response to a safety trigger event corresponding to at least one of the safety components, such as the emergency stop device 204, safety door lock 205, grille 206, or roll shutter, or to an interlocking signal 207 between upstream and downstream safety areas. The safety relay 202 is connected to the safety control unit 201 and, in response to the safety control signal, transmits a shutdown control signal to the robot 203's controller. The robot 203's controller is connected to the safety relay 202 and, in response to the shutdown control signal, controls the robot 203 to enter a safe state.

[0044] Here, a safety trigger event may be a safety trigger event corresponding to at least one safety component among safety components of a safety area, such as an emergency stop device 204, a safety door lock 205, a grate 206, or a roll shutter, for example, a technician pressing the emergency stop button on the emergency stop device 204, or a technician opening the safety door lock 205 of the safety area, or material or an unknown object entering the grate 206, or an interlocking signal 207 being transmitted between upstream and downstream safety areas. For example, in safety areas corresponding to two adjacent manufacturing processes, if production material needs to enter the next safety area directly from the previous safety area, if a safety trigger event occurs in the previous safety area, the next safety area will also acquire a safety control signal corresponding to the safety trigger event in the previous safety area, and safety control will be applied to this area as well, preventing damage to the material or equipment that enters.

[0045] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the safety relay consists of at least a coil, an anchor, and a contact leaf spring. When a constant voltage is applied across the coil, a constant current flows through the coil, generating an electromagnetic effect that drives the movable contact (normally open contact) of the anchor to turn on or the fixed contact (normally closed contact) to turn off. In this case, when the safety relay is a normally open switch, after the safety relay receives a safety control signal transmitted by the safety control unit, an electromagnetic effect is generated in the coil, turning on the normally open contact and generating a shutdown control signal that shuts down the robot.

[0046] Here, the robot may be a robot that performs tasks such as transporting, assembling, packaging, and detection on a battery production line, and the robot moves along the production line. If a safety trigger event occurs in a safety area, the robot must be in a safe state when a safety trigger event occurs in order to prevent the moving robot from damaging any person or equipment that enters the safety area, thereby protecting equipment on the production line or technicians who enter the production line. For example, the safe state may be when the robot immediately stops or when the robot returns to a safe position, where the safe position refers to a position that does not damage any person or equipment.

[0047] In embodiments of this disclosure, the battery production line is partitioned, safety trigger events are detected in each safety area, safety control is performed on robots within the safety area in response to the occurrence of a safety trigger event in the safety area, the robots are safely isolated from equipment and personnel within the safety area, the safety of production line equipment, workers and maintenance personnel is ensured, the reliability of the entire battery production line is improved, and a reliable safety control protection mechanism is provided for robots and mechanical equipment in the production line.

[0048] In some embodiments, Figure 3 shows a safety control system for a battery production line according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and as shown in Figure 3, the safety control system further includes a safety detection unit 301 installed within a safety area. The safety detection unit 301 is connected to a safety control unit 201 and is for detecting the entrance to the safety area and obtaining detection results. The safety detection unit 301 is also for generating a safety trigger event in response to the detection result indicating that the object to be detected has entered the safety area from the entrance to the safety area, and for transmitting the safety trigger event to the safety control unit 201.

[0049] In some embodiments, the safety detection unit 301 may be a safety detection sensor in the safety area, such as an optical fiber sensor, grid, or industrial camera, which is capable of detecting a target. The target may be a technician entering the safety area, materials on a production line, or equipment moving on the production line. The safety sensor detects the entrance to the safety area, and when it detects that a target has entered the safety area through the entrance, the safety detection unit generates a detection result. In response to the detection result indicating that one of the targets has now entered the safety area from the entrance, the safety detection unit generates a safety trigger event and transmits the safety trigger event to the safety control unit 201. The safety control unit 201 generates a safety control signal and, based on the safety relay, transmits a shutdown control signal to the robot controller to control the robot in the safety area to a safe state, thereby preventing the robot from damaging the technician, materials on the production line, or equipment moving on the production line that have entered the safety area from the entrance.

[0050] Thus, in the embodiments of this disclosure, a sensor detects the entrance to a safety area, and when the detected object enters the safety area through the entrance, a safety trigger event is generated. In response to the safety trigger event, a safety control unit controls the robot within the safety area, ensuring the safety of production line equipment, workers, and maintenance personnel.

[0051] In some embodiments, the transport of materials between different safety areas and different workstations on the production line is carried out by transport carts on the production line, i.e., automated guided vehicles (AGVs). The AGV cart automatically selects, determines, and plans the optimal transport route based on the front-to-back order of different workstations on the battery production line. Each time the AGV cart enters a workstation in a safety area, it sends an entry command to the safety control unit corresponding to that safety area. The safety control unit, in response to the entry command sent by the transport cart, generates a safety control signal and, based on a safety relay, sends a shutdown control signal to the robot's controller, thereby controlling the robot within the safety area to maintain a safe state.

[0052] In some embodiments, the entry command may include the travel path of the transport cart within the current safety area, and the safety control unit, upon receiving the entry command, controls the robots on the production line to avoid the transport cart based on its travel path, thereby protecting the materials.

[0053] In the embodiments of this disclosure, safety controls are applied to production equipment and robots within a safety area in response to a command to enter a transport cart, thereby preventing the production equipment and robots from damaging materials on the transport cart while it is moving, and ensuring safe production on the production line.

[0054] In some embodiments, the robot controller controls the robot to either stop or move to a safe position after receiving a shutdown control signal. Here, controlling the robot to stop means that the robot controller controls the robot to stop in its current position after receiving a shutdown control signal. The safe position may be the current safe area or the robot's home position in the current workstation, and the robot will not damage equipment or personnel within the safe area in the safe position. Controlling the robot to move to a safe position means that the robot controller controls the robot to stop its current operation and automatically move to a safe position after receiving a shutdown control signal.

[0055] In the embodiments of this disclosure, safety controls are applied to robots within a safety area, safely isolating the robots from equipment and personnel within the safety area, and ensuring the safety of production line equipment, workers, and maintenance personnel.

[0056] In some embodiments, the safety area includes at least two production devices, and a robot control unit may also be installed on the robot body, which may be an emergency stop button installed on the robot body. When a worker enters the safety area, they can manually press the robot control unit on the robot body, and the robot's controller generates a safety trigger event in response to this press. The safety control unit in the safety area then performs safety control on the equipment within the safety area in response to the safety trigger event.

[0057] In some embodiments, the robot controller generates a robot control signal (i.e., an emergency stop signal for the robot body) in response to a control operation on the robot control unit. The safety control unit transmits the robot control signal to a safety relay, which in turn transmits the shutdown control signal to other production equipment in the safety area other than the robot in response to the robot control signal transmitted by the robot controller. In other words, when an engineer enters the safety area, they can press an emergency stop button installed on any of the robot bodies within the safety area. In this case, the safety control unit in the safety area receives the control signal transmitted by the robot and, in turn, performs safety control on other production equipment within the safety area.

[0058] In the embodiments of this disclosure, by installing a robot control unit on the robot body, the safety control unit controls other production equipment within the safety area based on the control signals from the robot body, thereby achieving safe production on the production line.

[0059] In some embodiments, at least one independent safety area in a battery production line may include at least two adjacent safety areas, a first and a second safety area, where adjacent means the manufacturing processes of the two safety areas are continuous, for example, the manufacturing process corresponding to the first safety area is pre-weld addressing, and the manufacturing process corresponding to the second safety area is pole column welding.

[0060] In two adjacent safety areas, if a safety trigger event occurs in the previous safety area, safety control is performed in the next safety area based on the same safety trigger event. This avoids the problem where material discharged from the previous safety area collides with a moving robot within the safety area as it enters the next safety area, damaging the material and preventing subsequent processes from being executed.

[0061] Here, the safety control unit of the first safety area can be used to generate a safety control signal for the first safety area in response to a safety trigger event in the first safety area, and the safety control unit of the second safety area receives the safety control signal transmitted by the safety control unit of the first safety area and generates a safety control signal for the second safety area in response to the safety control signal for the first safety area, thereby realizing upstream and downstream safety signal control in the battery production line.

[0062] In the embodiments of this disclosure, when a safety trigger event occurs in the previous safety area, safety control is performed in the next safety area based on the same safety trigger event. This avoids the problem of material discharged from the previous safety area colliding with a robot moving within the safety area as it enters the next safety area, damaging the material and preventing subsequent processes from being carried out, thereby improving the reliability of production on the production line.

[0063] In some embodiments, the production equipment on the production line further includes a cylinder and a motor, the cylinder may be equipment that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy on the production line, and can be applied to automated equipment on a battery production line, such as robots, conveying devices, and material transport systems, and the safety relay provides safe start / stop control to the cylinder by managing and controlling the load output power of the valve island and remote I / O module connected to the cylinder. The motor can be applied to any equipment corresponding to processes such as compounding, stirring, coating, roll rolling, slitting, die cutting, winding, lamination, injection, and welding on a battery production line, and the safety relay controls the safe start / stop of the inverter and servo controller by controlling the turn-off of the Safe Torque Off (STO) port of the inverter and servo controller connected to the motor, thereby providing safe start / stop control to the motor.

[0064] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the robot controller, cylinder controller, and motor controller are each connected to different safety relays. In other words, different production equipment on the battery production line are connected to different safety relays.

[0065] Here, the safety relay connected to the cylinder controller is for transmitting a shutdown control signal to the cylinder controller in response to a safety control signal. Here, the cylinder controller may be a valve island and a remote I / O module connected to the cylinder, and the safety relay stops the cylinder's movement and achieves safe management control of the valve island's operation by controlling it to shut off the DC24V output of the valve island's load in response to the safety control signal. The safety relay can further stop the cylinder's movement and achieve safe management control of the remote I / O module's operation by controlling it to shut off the DC24V output of the remote I / O module's load in response to the safety control signal.

[0066] In some embodiments, a safety relay connected to the motor controller is used to send a shutdown control signal to the motor controller in response to the safety control signal. Here, the motor controller may be an inverter and motor servo controller connected to the motor, and the safety relay stops the motor's movement and achieves safety management control of the inverter and motor servo controller by controlling the STO terminal of the inverter and motor servo controller to disconnect in response to the safety control signal.

[0067] The embodiments of this disclosure provide safety control to at least two production devices in a production line through systematic interlock control, thereby improving control efficiency and ensuring safe production on the production line.

[0068] Based on the above-described safety control system for the battery production line, embodiments of this disclosure further provide a safety control method for the battery production line, and Figure 4 is a selectable schematic flowchart of one of the safety control methods for the battery production line according to embodiments of this disclosure, and as shown in Figure 4, the safety control method for the battery production line can be implemented by steps S401 to S403.

[0069] In step S401, the safety control unit generates a safety control signal in response to a safety trigger event.

[0070] In some embodiments, the battery production line includes at least one independent safety area, and the safety control system includes at least a safety control unit within the safety area, production equipment and safety relays corresponding to the production equipment, wherein the production equipment includes at least a robot. Here, the safety control unit may be a programmable logic control device, and the production equipment refers to equipment on the production line, such as a robot, equipment operated by a cylinder or equipment operated by a motor. The safety relay receives a signal transmitted by the safety control unit in response to a safety trigger event such as an emergency stop device, safety door, grate or roll shutter, and the safety relay transmits the signal to each power-consuming device via a voltage-free contact.

[0071] In step S402, the safety relay, in response to the safety control signal, transmits a shutdown control signal to the robot's controller.

[0072] Here, the shutdown control signal refers to a signal used to control the robot to either stop or move to a safe position. The safety relay responds to the safety control signal from the safety control unit by sending a shutdown control signal to the robot's controller.

[0073] In step S403, the robot's controller controls the robot to enter a safe state in response to the shutdown control signal.

[0074] In embodiments of this disclosure, the battery production line is partitioned, safety trigger events are detected in each safety area, safety control is performed on robots within the safety area in response to the occurrence of a safety trigger event in the safety area, the robots are safely isolated from equipment and personnel within the safety area, the safety of production line equipment, workers and maintenance personnel is ensured, the reliability of the entire battery production line is improved, and a reliable safety control protection mechanism is provided for robots and mechanical equipment in the production line.

[0075] In some embodiments, the safety control system further includes a safety detection unit installed within a safety area. A safety control method for a battery production line according to an embodiment of the present disclosure further includes steps S1 and S2,

[0076] In step S1, the safety detection unit performs detection on the entrance to the safety area and obtains the detection result.

[0077] In step S2, the safety detection unit generates a safety trigger event in response to the detection result indicating that the object to be detected has entered the safety area from the entrance of the safety area, and transmits the safety trigger event to the safety control unit.

[0078] In the embodiments of this disclosure, a sensor detects the entrance to a safety area, and when the detected object enters the safety area through the entrance, a safety trigger event is generated. In response to the safety trigger event, a safety control unit controls the robot within the safety area to ensure the safety of production line equipment, workers, and maintenance personnel.

[0079] In some embodiments, a safety control unit generates a safety control signal in response to an entry command transmitted by a transport cart, where the transport cart is used to transport materials for a battery production line.

[0080] In some embodiments, the robot controller controls the robot to either stop or move to a safe position in response to a shutdown control signal.

[0081] In some embodiments, the safety area includes at least two production devices, the robot is equipped with a robot control unit, the robot's controller generates robot control signals in response to control operations on the robot control unit, and the safety relay transmits shutdown control signals to other production devices in the safety area other than the robot in response to the robot control signals transmitted by the robot's controller.

[0082] In some embodiments, at least one independent safety area includes adjacent first and second safety areas, the safety control unit of the first safety area generates a safety control signal for the first safety area in response to a safety trigger event of the first safety area, and the safety control unit of the second safety area receives the safety control signal transmitted by the safety control unit of the first safety area and generates a safety control signal for the second safety area in response to the safety control signal for the first safety area.

[0083] In some embodiments, the production equipment further includes a cylinder and a motor, and the robot controller, cylinder controller and motor controller are each connected to different safety relays, the safety relay connected to the cylinder controller sends a shutdown control signal to the cylinder controller in response to a safety control signal, and the safety relay connected to the motor controller sends a shutdown control signal to the motor controller in response to a safety control signal.

[0084] The following describes exemplary applications of the present invention in actual application scenarios.

[0085] This disclosure describes a safety control method for power lithium battery module production line equipment from two aspects: safety area partitioning and safety control principles. First, the entire line is partitioned into eight subdivided safety areas, each enclosed by a fence, and safety components such as grates and roll shutters are installed at material entrances and exits. The purpose of such safety partitioning is primarily to ensure the independence of work within each safety area and to prevent workers from accidentally entering the work area and causing safety injuries. Second, each safety area is equipped with safety components such as safety-related emergency stop devices and safety door locks. The main functions of these safety devices are to safely stop the equipment in an emergency and to safely stop the equipment when equipment workers enter the safety area for repair or maintenance.

[0086] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the safety control principle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the emergency stop switch 501, the grid device 502, the safety door lock device 503, and the upstream / downstream signal 504 within the safety area access the relay 505. The relay 505 responds to the safety signal transmitted by the emergency stop switch 501, the grid device 502, or the safety door lock device 503, and the upstream / downstream signal 504, by outputting a safety interlock signal to the equipment within the safety area.

[0087] Here, the controller of the production line robot 506 performs safe start / stop control of the production line robot 506 based on the safety association signal of relay 505. The safety association signal is a safety control signal generated when a safety trigger event occurs in a safe area, or an emergency stop signal generated by another robot body.

[0088] The safety control of cylinder 507 provides safe start / stop control to cylinder 507 by managing and controlling the load output power supply (for example, a DC24V output) of valve island 5072 or remote I / O module 5073 via switching power supply 5071 based on a safety interlock signal from relay 505. The safety interlock signal refers to a control signal transmitted to other equipment after the safety relay receives a safety control signal generated when a safety trigger event occurs in a safety area or an emergency stop signal generated by another robot body.

[0089] The safety control of motor 508 controls the safe starting / stopping of the inverter and servo controller by controlling the turn-off of the STO input ports of the motor inverter 5081 and servo controller 5082 based on the safety interlock signal of relay 505.

[0090] Based on the embodiments described above, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the safety control principle of a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the external emergency stop signal 601 and the external safety door lock signal 602 are output to the controller 5061 of the production line robot 506 via the relay 505. After receiving the external emergency stop input signal 603 and the external safety door lock input signal 604 transmitted by the safety relay, the robot's controller executes the robot's internal safety logic to safely start or stop the robot.

[0091] As shown in Figure 6, in response to the pressing of the emergency stop button in the safety area, coil KA101 corresponding to the external emergency stop signal 601 is triggered, turning on the normally open contact K101 corresponding to the external emergency stop signal 601. In this case, the external emergency stop signal 601 is input to the robot's controller, becoming the robot controller's external emergency stop input signal 603, and the robot controller can perform emergency stop control on the robot based on this external emergency stop input signal 603.

[0092] In response to the opening of the safety door lock in the safety area, coil KA102 corresponding to the external safety door lock signal 602 is triggered, turning on the normally open contact K102 corresponding to the external safety door lock signal 602. In this case, the external safety door lock signal 602 is input to the robot controller, becoming the robot controller's external safety door lock input signal 604, and the robot controller can perform emergency stop control on the robot based on this external safety door lock input signal 604.

[0093] In some embodiments, the robot body emergency stop output signal 606 (from the emergency stop button on the robot body) is output to the relay 505 as the source of the safety input signal for the relay 505. After receiving the robot body emergency stop signal 605 from the robot, the relay 505 outputs a safety control signal to the robot (which is a robot other than the one whose emergency stop button is pressed), the valve island, and the remote I / O module, and performs safety interlock control on the cylinders and valve island within the safety area.

[0094] In response to the pressing of the emergency stop button on the robot body, the robot controller generates a robot body emergency stop output signal 606, and the relay 505 receives the robot body emergency stop output signal 606 and outputs the robot body emergency stop signal 605 to other robots, cylinders, and motors in the safety area, and the controllers of the other robots, cylinders, and motors perform emergency stop control on the other robots, cylinders, and motors based on the robot body emergency stop signal 605.

[0095] As shown in Figure 6, when a robot controller is connected to relay 505 and a dual circuit connection is used to perform safety control of the production line, both of the dual circuits must be triggered in order to realize the safety control method according to the embodiment of this disclosure.

[0096] Based on the embodiments described above, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the safety control principle of the valve island according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the safety control corresponding to the valve island 5072 also performs safety interlock control by an external emergency stop signal 601 and / or an external safety door lock signal 602 of relay 505. Relay 505 receives the external emergency stop signal 601 and / or an external safety door lock signal 602, and the coil KA30 corresponding to the external safety door lock signal or external emergency stop signal is triggered, turning on the normally open contact K30 corresponding to the external safety door lock signal or external emergency stop signal. In this case, based on the state of the normally open contact K30, the output of the DC24V (i.e., load power supply 701) of the valve island load is cut off, thereby achieving safe management control of the operation of the valve island 5072.

[0097] Based on the embodiments described above, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the safety control principle of the remote I / O module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and as shown in Figures 6 and 8, the safety control corresponding to the remote I / O module 5073 also performs safety interlock control by an external emergency stop signal 601 and / or an external safety door lock signal 602 of relay 505. Relay 505 receives the external emergency stop signal 601 or the external safety door lock signal 602, and the coil KA31 corresponding to the external safety door lock signal or the external emergency stop signal is triggered, turning on the normally open contact K31 corresponding to the external safety door lock signal or the external emergency stop signal. In this case, based on the state of the normally open contact K31, the output of the DC24V (i.e., load power supply 801) of the load of the remote I / O module 5073 is cut off, thereby achieving safe management control of the operation of the remote I / O module 5073.

[0098] Based on the embodiments described above, Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the safety control principle of the inverter and servo controller according to the embodiments of this disclosure. As shown in Figures 6 and 9, the safety control corresponding to the inverter 5081 or the servo controller 5082 is performed by safety interlock control using the external emergency stop signal 601 and the external safety door lock signal 602 of the relay 505. The relay 505 receives the external emergency stop signal or the external safety door lock signal, and the coil KA32 corresponding to the external safety door lock signal or the external emergency stop signal is triggered, turning on the normally open contact K32 corresponding to the external safety door lock signal or the external emergency stop signal. In this case, the STO control terminal 901 of the inverter and servo controller is controlled based on the state of the normally open contact, thereby achieving safety management control for the inverter and servo controller. For example, after turning on the normally open contact K32, the input to the STO control terminal of the inverter and servo controller is cut off, stopping the inverter and servo controller.

[0099] In embodiments of this disclosure, a battery production line is partitioned, safety trigger events corresponding to emergency stop devices, grates, safety door locks, and upstream / downstream safety signals are detected in each safety area, safety control is performed on robots within the safety area in response to a safety trigger event occurring in the safety area, the robots are safely isolated from equipment and personnel within the safety area, the safety of production line equipment, workers and maintenance personnel is ensured, the reliability of the entire battery production line is improved, and a reliable safety control protection mechanism is provided for robots and mechanical equipment in the production line.

[0100] As the systematic explanation in the embodiments of this disclosure is similar to the explanation of the embodiments of the method described above and has similar effects, a repeated explanation is omitted here. For details of the technology not disclosed in the embodiments of this apparatus, please refer to the explanation of the embodiments of the method of this disclosure.

[0101] The above description is merely an example of the Disclosure and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the Disclosure. All modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made in the spirit and scope of the Disclosure are all included within the scope of protection of the Disclosure.

[0102] <Industrial applicability> In the above embodiment, the battery production line is partitioned, safety trigger events are detected in each safety area, and in response to the occurrence of a safety trigger event in a safety area, safety control is performed on the robot in the safety area, safely isolating the robot from equipment and personnel in the safety area, ensuring the safety of production line equipment, workers and maintenance workers, improving the reliability of the entire battery production line, and providing a reliable safety control protection mechanism for robots and mechanical equipment in the production line.

Claims

1. A safety control system for a battery production line, wherein the battery production line includes at least one independent safety area, the safety control system includes at least a safety control unit within the safety area, production equipment and safety relays corresponding to the production equipment, and the production equipment includes at least a robot, wherein The aforementioned safety control unit is for generating safety control signals in response to safety trigger events. The safety relay is connected to the safety control unit and is for transmitting a shutdown control signal to the robot's controller in response to the safety control signal. A safety control system for a battery production line, wherein the robot's controller is connected to the safety relay and controls the robot to enter a safe state in response to the shutdown control signal.

2. The safety control system further includes a safety detection unit installed within the safety area. The safety detection unit is connected to the safety control unit and is used to detect the entrance to the safety area and obtain the detection result. The safety control system according to claim 1, wherein the safety detection unit further generates the safety trigger event in response to the detection result indicating that the object to be detected has entered the safety area from the entrance of the safety area, and transmits the safety trigger event to the safety control unit.

3. The safety control unit further generates the safety control signal in response to an entry command transmitted by a transport cart, wherein the transport cart is for transporting materials for the battery production line, according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The safety control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the robot's controller is further for controlling the robot to stop or move to a safe position in response to the shutdown control signal.

5. The safety area includes at least two production machines, and the robot is equipped with a robot control unit. The robot controller is for generating robot control signals in response to control operations on the robot control unit. The safety control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the safety relay further transmits the shutdown control signal to other production equipment other than the robot within the safety area in response to a robot control signal transmitted by the robot's controller.

6. The aforementioned at least one independent safety area includes adjacent first and second safety areas. The safety control unit of the first safety area is for generating a safety control signal for the first safety area in response to a safety trigger event in the first safety area. The safety control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the safety control unit of the second safety area receives a safety control signal transmitted by the safety control unit of the first safety area and generates a safety control signal for the second safety area in response to the safety control signal for the first safety area.

7. The production equipment further includes a cylinder and a motor, and the robot controller, the cylinder controller and the motor controller are each connected to different safety relays. The safety relay connected to the cylinder controller is for transmitting a shutdown control signal to the cylinder controller in response to the safety control signal. The safety control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the safety relay connected to the motor controller is for transmitting a shutdown control signal to the motor controller in response to the safety control signal.

8. A safety control method for a battery production line, applicable to a safety control system for a battery production line, wherein the battery production line includes at least one independent safety area, the safety control system includes at least a safety control unit within the safety area, production equipment and safety relays corresponding to the production equipment, the production equipment includes at least a robot, and the method is as follows: The safety control unit generates a safety control signal in response to a safety trigger event, The safety relay transmits a shutdown control signal to the robot's controller in response to the safety control signal. A safety control method for a battery production line, comprising the robot's controller controlling the robot to enter a safe state in response to the shutdown control signal.

9. The safety control system further includes a safety detection unit installed within the safety area, and the method is The safety detection unit performs detection at the entrance to the safety area and obtains the detection result. The safety control method according to claim 8, further comprising the safety detection unit generating a safety trigger event in response to the detection result indicating that the object to be detected has entered the safety area from the entrance of the safety area, and transmitting the safety trigger event to the safety control unit.

10. The safety area includes at least two production machines, the robot is equipped with a robot control unit, and the method is The robot's controller generates robot control signals in response to control operations on the robot control unit, The safety control method according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising the safety relay transmitting the shutdown control signal to other production equipment other than the robot within the safety area in response to a robot control signal transmitted by the robot's controller.

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