AGV Conveyor Power Segmentation for Emergency Stop Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated guided vehicle and storage section systems face challenges in ensuring safety and recovery efficiency during emergency stops, as power failures can lead to unintended article movement and complex recovery processes.
Innovation Solution
An article delivery system with dual emergency stop switches and communication modules on both the automated guided vehicle and storage section, allowing for coordinated power shutdown of electric conveyors to prevent unexpected movement and enable safe operation and efficient recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If power supply is shut off during emergency stop to ensure safety, then safety is improved, but article delivery function is stopped and recovery work becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply system is segmented into multiple independent circuits: a first power supply circuit for the conveyor and a second power supply circuit for the control device. This segmentation allows the conveyor power to be shut off during emergency stop while the control device remains powered, enabling simplified recovery operations without compromising safety.
2Reliability
If all functions are stopped during power failure to ensure safety, then safety is improved, but productivity is reduced due to complete system shutdown
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments power supply functions so that during emergency stop, only the conveyor motor power is interrupted while the control device maintains power. This allows the control system to remain operational for monitoring and recovery purposes, minimizing productivity loss while ensuring safety through conveyor shutdown.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device is prepared in advance to handle emergency stop scenarios by maintaining its power supply independently. This preliminary preparation enables the control device to immediately manage the emergency situation and facilitate quick recovery, balancing safety requirements with productivity maintenance.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If power supply is shut off to prevent unexpected movement, then harmful factors are reduced, but loss of time occurs during power restoration
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the power supply into conveyor power and control device power circuits, the system can shut off conveyor power to prevent unexpected movement while keeping the control device powered. This eliminates recovery time delays caused by complete system power restoration, as the control device remains operational throughout the emergency stop event.
Data Source
AI summary
When an article is delivered between a first electric conveyor of an automated guided vehicle and a second electric conveyor of a storage section, a first communication module of the automated guided vehicle and a second communication module of the storage section exchange signals, power supply to the first electric conveyor is shut off in response to a first emergency stop switch of the automated guided vehicle, a first signal from the first communication module changes, and power supply to the second electric conveyor is shut off in response to a change in the first signal, and the power supply to the second electric conveyor is shut off in response to a second emergency stop switch of the storage section, a second signal from the second communication module changes, and the power supply to the second electric conveyor is shut off in response to the second signal.