Automated Replacement Safety-Zone Switching to Reduce Line Stops
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operators inadvertently enter the large safety area of a feeder automated replacement device, causing emergency stops during operation, especially when working near pre- or post-process devices outside the device's movement range, leading to unnecessary interruptions in production lines.
Innovation Solution
An automated replacement system with a periphery monitoring device and an alarm system that adjusts the safety area range during movement to match that of an unmanned conveyance vehicle, reducing the likelihood of operator intrusion and emergency stops by sounding an alarm during device movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the safety area range is enlarged to ensure operator safety during automated replacement operation, then safety is improved, but the likelihood of operator intrusion and emergency stops increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety area range is dynamically adjusted based on the operational state of the automated replacement device. During movement along the front surface, a first (smaller) safety area is set. During automated replacement operation at a machine, a second (larger) safety area is set. This dynamic adjustment ensures adequate safety during high-risk operations while minimizing unnecessary restrictions during low-risk movement, thereby reducing production interruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The parameter of safety area range is changed according to the operational phase. The control device switches between different safety area configurations: a smaller range during movement and a larger range during replacement operations. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by matching the safety area size to the actual risk level of the current operation.
2Productivity
If the safety area range is reduced during movement to minimize operator intrusion, then productivity is improved, but safety coverage during high-risk operations may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches safety area ranges based on operational context. During movement, a smaller first safety area is applied to reduce intrusion likelihood. During automated replacement, a larger second safety area is applied to ensure comprehensive safety coverage. This dynamic approach ensures both productivity and safety are optimized for each operational phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety area parameter is adaptively changed based on the device's operational state. The control device receives operation information and adjusts the safety area range accordingly, ensuring adequate coverage during high-risk replacement operations while minimizing restrictions during low-risk movement phases.
3Reliability
If a large safety area is set for the industrial robot, then operator safety is improved, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a consistently large safety area, the system employs a dynamic safety area that adjusts based on operational needs. During movement, a smaller safety area suffices. During replacement operations, the safety area expands to provide comprehensive coverage. This reduces overall system complexity while maintaining safety.
Data Source
AI summary
An automated replacement device moves in a right-left direction along a front surface of production line including multiple machines. The automated replacement device moves to a front side of an instructed machine among the multiple machines to perform an automated replacement operation on the machine. A periphery monitoring device monitors a safety area set in a periphery of the automated replacement device to stop an operation of the automated replacement device in an emergency manner when a person or an obstacle is detected in the safety area and alarm device sounds an alarm to notify that the automated replacement device is moving, in which the periphery monitoring device is switched such that a range of the safety area during the movement of the automated replacement device is smaller than a range of the safety area during the automated replacement operation.