Robot Arm Brake Test Scheduling for Higher Availability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brake test scheduling methods for robot arms are inflexible and require all brakes to be tested simultaneously, leading to restricted robot availability and increased maintenance burdens.
Innovation Solution
A method for automatically scheduling brake tests at individual or grouped brakes of a robot arm, allowing for configurable time intervals based on safety risk assessments, application-specific requirements, and brake performance metrics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all brakes are tested simultaneously at fixed time intervals, then safety requirements are met, but robot availability decreases and maintenance burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the brake testing process by allowing different time intervals for different brakes based on their individual risk assessments. Instead of testing all brakes simultaneously at fixed intervals, the system divides brakes into groups with different testing frequencies, enabling critical brakes to be tested more frequently while less critical brakes are tested less often, thus maintaining safety while improving robot availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic brake test scheduling where the time intervals between tests are not fixed but can be adjusted based on actual brake condition and risk assessment. The system allows flexible configuration of individual parameters for each brake, enabling adaptive testing schedules that respond to changing operational conditions and risk levels, thereby optimizing both safety and productivity.
2Reliability
If brake tests are performed frequently to ensure safety, then brake reliability is maintained, but operational time is reduced and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different testing frequencies to different brakes based on their individual risk profiles and operational importance. Instead of uniform testing, each brake receives a customized testing schedule appropriate to its specific risk level, ensuring that high-risk brakes are monitored more closely while low-risk brakes undergo less frequent testing, thus minimizing overall operational disruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by allowing the time interval parameter for each brake to be individually configured and adjusted. The system enables modification of testing frequency parameters based on risk assessment results, brake age, operational conditions, and other factors, creating a flexible scheduling system that adapts parameters to optimize both reliability and operational time.
3Ease of operation
If uniform brake test schedules are applied to all brakes, then scheduling simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to different safety risks and application requirements is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves universality by creating a scheduling system that can handle both uniform and customized testing schedules through a single unified platform. The system provides default uniform scheduling for simplicity while simultaneously enabling customized individual parameters for each brake, allowing the same system to serve multiple functions from simple compliance-based scheduling to complex risk-based adaptive scheduling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by allowing the configuration of individual parameters and risk assessments to be performed in advance during system setup or maintenance planning phases. This preliminary configuration enables the system to automatically generate optimized schedules without requiring complex real-time decisions, maintaining operational simplicity while incorporating customized scheduling parameters for different brakes.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, a robot, and a robot controller for automatically scheduling the timing of a plurality of brake tests, that succeed one another at time intervals, at a plurality of brakes of a robot arm equipped with a plurality of joints and a plurality of links connecting the joints to one another and is connected to a robot controller which is designed and configured to control the joints and the brakes, in order to move the robot arm. At least one individual parameter is configured for each of the brakes. A brake test method associated with the robot arm is automatically initialized, and the initialized brake test method is automatically carried out in accordance with the configured parameters.