3D Hazard Zone Switching for Productive Machine Safeguarding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current safety technologies in industrial environments, particularly around dangerous machines, rely on conventional protective fields that are overly expansive and restrictive, limiting productivity and enabling close machine-human collaboration due to their worst-case scenario design, which results in unnecessary emergency stops and inefficient use of space.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing 3D sensors to dynamically adapt and configure danger zones based on the machine's work process, allowing for real-time activation and deactivation of specific hazard areas, ensuring safety without the need for extensive protective fields, by monitoring the environment and evaluating the shortest distances between objects and machine parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional protective fields are used to secure hazardous areas, then safety is ensured through comprehensive coverage, but productivity decreases due to unnecessary emergency stops and restricted machine-human collaboration
Solution Approach 1:
The hazardous area is divided into multiple individual hazard points rather than treating it as a single protective field. Each hazard point corresponds to a specific machine position or dangerous area, allowing selective monitoring and activation only when the machine is at that position, thereby reducing false alarms and unnecessary stops while maintaining comprehensive safety coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically activates and deactivates hazard points based on the machine's current position and work process. Instead of a static protective field that remains active throughout, hazard points are only monitored when relevant, enabling closer machine-human collaboration during safe periods while maintaining safety when hazards are present.
2Reliability
If expansive protective fields are configured to cover all machine positions, then safety is maintained across all scenarios, but machine-human collaboration is restricted due to large safety distances
Solution Approach 1:
Different hazard points have different monitoring characteristics and activation conditions tailored to their specific risk profiles. Each hazard point is configured with local parameters such as detection sensitivity, activation thresholds, and associated safety distances, allowing operators to work closely with the machine in low-risk areas while maintaining appropriate distances in high-risk zones.
3Reliability
If large protective zones are established to cover all conceivable scenarios, then safety is ensured against all potential hazards, but response time is reduced and productivity is lowered
Solution Approach 1:
Hazard points are pre-configured with their monitoring parameters, detection thresholds, and associated safety responses during system setup. When the machine approaches a hazard point, the monitoring is already prepared and activated, eliminating the need for real-time configuration delays and enabling immediate response to actual hazards while avoiding unnecessary monitoring of irrelevant areas.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances productivity by allowing closer machine-human collaboration, reduces unnecessary emergency stops, and optimizes the distance between workers and danger points, while maintaining safety through precise and adaptive hazard zone management.
Implementation Method 1
3D cameras using various technologies, such as stereoscopy, triangulation, time-of-flight
Implementation Method 2
3D cameras using various technologies, such as stereoscopy, triangulation, time-of-flight
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A method for securing at least one hazardous location (32) with a hazardous machine (26) is described, wherein objects (28) in the vicinity (12) of the hazardous location (32) are detected from measurement data of a 3D sensor (10), and a safety-oriented reaction of the machine (26) occurs in the event of imminent danger. During operation of the machine (26), the system switches to at least one newly secured hazardous location (32') and checks whether the newly secured hazardous location (32') is free of objects (28).