How miniature safety laser scanners can maximize protection and productivity
are used to detect obstacles. That can limit the speed of travel for the AGV, and the strips or bumpers can experience physical damage, requiring replacement and taking the AGV out of operation for a period. To maintain safety, flexibility, and maximum availability, AGVs can replace switching strips and bumpers as the primary safety devices, and they can include a laser safety scanner to detect obstacles and safely stop. The small size of the S300 Mini facilitates integration, even in the smallest AGVs (Figure 4). Using two safety laser scanners can provide an expanded protected area. If the scanners are mounted on the front corners of the AGV, the protected area extends to the front and both sides of the vehicle. Suppose the scanners are mounted diagonally opposite each other on the front and rear of the vehicle. In that case, the protected area will surround all sides of the AGV, enabling safe movement in both directions. Configuration, installation, and maintenance Configuration and diagnostic software (CDS) from SICK can be used to define protective and warning fields using a PC or laptop. The software includes an intuitive interface for application design and implementation. The
the minimum safe distance required to stop a machine when a person approaches it. ISO 13855 applies to several types of safety devices, including safety laser scanners, safety light curtains, pressure- sensitive devices, safety mats and floors, and more. It can be useful when calculating the size of safety fields for safety laser scanners (Figure 3). A common formula for calculating the safe distance, S, is S = (K × (TM + TS)) + ZG + ZR + CRO, where: ■ K = Approach speed (1,600 mm/s, defined in ISO 13855) ■ TM = Stopping time of the machine or system
■ TS = Response time of the safety laser scanner and the downstream controller ■ ZG = General supplement = 100 mm ■ ZR = Supplement for reflection- related measurement errors ■ CRO = Supplement to prevent reaching over Automated guided vehicles Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) move items quickly and efficiently without human intervention in Industry 4.0 factories, warehouses, and distribution centers. In some AGVs, switching strips or bumpers
Figure 3: ISO 13855 guidelines can be used to calculate the sizes of safety fields (red) for safety laser scanners like the S300 Mini Standard. (Image source: SICK)
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