Robot Palletizing Safety Marking for Printed Product Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies in the graphic industry do not adequately protect operating personnel from dangers associated with robot movements during the handling of printing products, such as those from folding machines.
Innovation Solution
A device that includes a projector to create an optical marking and an optical start-up warning on the floor in the danger area of the robot arm, alerting personnel to potential hazards and enabling them to avoid the danger area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a robot arm is used to handle printed products, then productivity is improved, but operating personnel are exposed to danger zones
Solution Approach 1:
A projector is introduced as an intermediary device that projects optical markings and warnings onto the floor to indicate danger zones and robot movement states. This visual intermediary system communicates robot status to operating personnel without requiring direct observation of the robot arm, thereby maintaining productivity while reducing exposure to harmful factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The projector uses different optical signals (e.g., different colors or patterns of light) to indicate different states of the robot arm, such as active danger zones versus warning zones. These visual color changes provide immediate, intuitive information to operating personnel about the robot's operational state, enabling them to respond appropriately without being directly exposed to the robot's movement.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If fencing is installed to protect operating personnel, then safety is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical fencing systems with an optical projection system. Instead of using physical barriers (mechanical system) to define and protect from danger zones, the invention uses projected light patterns and visual warnings (optical system) to achieve the same safety function, thereby reducing device complexity and cost while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The projector acts as an intermediary that provides safety information without requiring physical barriers. The optical markings and warnings serve as a mediator between the robot system and operating personnel, conveying danger information in a way that does not require complex mechanical fencing infrastructure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If acoustic warnings are used for machine start-up, then operating personnel are notified, but the warning may not be sufficient for robot-specific hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from acoustic warnings (one-dimensional auditory signal) to optical projections (two-dimensional visual information) on the floor. This dimensional change allows the system to convey more comprehensive information about the danger zone's location, extent, and status, providing spatial context that acoustic warnings cannot deliver.
Solution Approach 2:
The projector serves as an intermediary that translates robot operational states into visual information displayed on the floor. This intermediary system provides continuous, location-specific information about danger zones and robot movement states, supplementing or replacing acoustic warnings with more informative visual feedback that reduces information loss.
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
The device effectively reduces the risk of injury to operating personnel by visually alerting them to the danger area and the start of robot movements, allowing them to take necessary precautions.
Implementation Method 1
at least one projector which generates an optical marking on the floor in the danger zone of the robot arm
Implementation Method 2
which generates an optical start-up warning when the robot arm starts moving
Data Source
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AI summary
An inventive device for placing printed products onto a pallet, comprising a conveyor that transports the printed products (5) to a receiving position (6) and a robot (10) with a robot arm (11) that lifts the printed products (5) from the conveyor at the receiving position (6), moves them to the pallet (8), and places them on the pallet (8) forming a pallet stack, is characterized in that the device (1) includes at least one projector (20) which generates an optical marking (21) on the floor (3) in the danger zone (12) of the robot arm (11) and which generates an optical start-up warning (22) when the robot arm (11) begins to move. The invention advantageously enables the protection of operating personnel, e.g., of a folding machine and its product delivery system, from hazards caused by robot movements. The invention is used, for example, after the delivery of a folding machine.