Sensor specialist Sick has developed a laser device that creates a protective field around the tool at the end of a collaborative robot (cobot) arm.
Mounted directly onto cobot arms provided by Universal Robots, the End of Arm Safeguard (EOAS) is said to allow safe, collision-free and close collaboration between robots and humans.
Breaking down silos between robots and humans, the EOAS enables added iterative risk reduction, potentially removing the need for additional safety measures, according to Sick.
It is a category 2 (ISO 13849) laser device that sits at the end of the cobot arm, allowing it to move with the arm and operate in smaller, more defined areas – in turn, enabling protection of a fixed hazard range of up to 400mm.
Sick’s EOAS provides a ‘safeguard stop’ through an invisible, infrared, protective shell of 40 laser beams that covers a hazard range encompassing the tool and workpiece. This allows for space-free operation, where humans can work in close proximity with the cobot with optimal safety, the company claimed.
Reducing unnecessary stops
Mounting the sensor directly onto the arm of the cobot means unnecessary stops are kept to a minimum, enhancing productivity while maintaining safe operation for workers to easily retrieve and replace workpieces.
When the human disturbs the protective field, a stop is triggered and the cobot immediately ceases movement. Time-of-flight technology makes it possible for a robotic arm to react dynamically, with a response time of less than 110 milliseconds, speeding up production and enhancing safety, according to Sick.
Human workers have the confidence to operate collaboratively, with the robotic arm stopping once the protective field is breached and recommencing its task once it is restored, the company added.
The EOAS comes with plug and play set-up, meaning it can be installed within 15 minutes.
“The EOAS ensures worker safety by helping to minimise risk in collaborative robot applications,” said Matthew van den Braak, product manager for robotic and mobile platforms at Sick UK.
“Our partnership with Universal Robots has seen the EOAS jointly developed and robustly tested in the field. As the first device of its kind on the market, the EOAS helps remove physical and psychological barriers in human/robot collaboration across a wide range of applications.”
More information from sick.com
