Removable Stocker Safety Fence for Machine Tool Robot Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional machine tool systems require collaborative robots or physical barriers to separate robots from people when moving outside the processing chamber, which increases costs and hinders operability due to the need for expensive sensors and permanent installations.
Innovation Solution
A machine tool system with a removable stocker that includes a protective member, such as a fence or wall, to create a protective space outside the processing chamber, allowing robots to move freely without the need for collaborative robots, and enabling safe operation by restricting robot movement based on door and stocker sensor inputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a robot is installed to move workpieces outside the processing chamber, then automation and manpower saving are improved, but expensive sensors and physical barriers are required to ensure safety
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the operational space into two distinct zones: a protected zone within the processing chamber and an unprotected zone outside. The door acts as a segmentation boundary that separates these zones, allowing the robot to operate in the unprotected zone only when the door is closed, thereby eliminating the need for expensive safety sensors and barriers while maintaining safety through spatial segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the robot's operational status based on the door state. When the door is closed, the robot can freely move outside the processing chamber. When the door is opened, the robot automatically stops or returns inside. This dynamic control strategy allows automation without requiring permanent physical barriers or complex safety sensors, as the door state itself serves as the dynamic safety condition.
2Reliability
If permanent bars or fences are installed to separate the robot from people, then safety is improved, but access to the machine tool is hindered and operability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of permanent fixed barriers, the system uses the movable door as a dynamic safety boundary. The door can be opened or closed as needed, allowing operators to access the machine tool when opening is required while maintaining robot safety when closed. This dynamic approach eliminates the need for permanent bars or fences that would permanently block access, thereby maintaining both safety and operability.
3Reliability
If a collaborative robot with sensors is used, then safety without physical barriers is improved, but the cost increases due to expensive sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The door state itself serves as the safety mechanism, eliminating the need for additional expensive sensors. The system uses the existing door infrastructure and its state (open/closed) to control robot operation, making the robot self-regulating based on environmental conditions rather than requiring active sensing. This approach achieves safety without the high cost of collaborative robot sensors.
Data Source
AI summary
A machine tool system includes a machine tool having a processing chamber covered by a cover and a door for covering or uncovering an opening formed on the cover; a stocker for being removably mounted on the machine tool to thereby define a storage space outside the processing chamber; and a robot having a movement range spanning the storage space and the processing chamber when the stocker is mounted on the machine tool. In the machine tool mentioned above, the stocker includes a safety fence that defines, in cooperation with the outer surface of the machine tool, a protective space when the stocker is mounted on the machine tool. The protective space is a space for accommodating the storage space.