By February 25, 2015 Read More →

Robot safety functions mean homing once is enough

Robot safety SafeROBOTICSWith SafeMOTION Release 1.9, B&R has updated the robot safety functions for the ACOPOSmulti servo drive family. In addition to two new functions – Remanent Safe Position (RSP) and Safely Limited Acceleration (SLA) – this update also introduces machine options for SafeMOTION parameters and improves both system availability and user-friendliness in applications where robot safety is paramount.

Pictured right: New safety functions for B&R ACOPOSmulti servo drives offer many advantages for robot safety, including no longer having to home robots after a restart.

In order to obtain a safe absolute multi-turn position to ensure robot safety, homing used to be necessary each time an axis was restarted. In some robot safety situations, this can require considerable effort, especially for complex multi-axis systems. The Remanent Safe Position (RSP) function allows SafeROBOTICS SLS, SLP and SLO functions to be used to ensure robot safety without homing after every power-on cycle.

The Safely Limited Acceleration (SLA) function monitors the acceleration or deceleration of an axis. If the limit being monitored is exceeded, the SafeMOTION module goes into an acknowledgeable error state, ensuring robot safety.

Using the SLA safety function for coupled axes, for example, makes it possible to significantly reduce the maximum remaining distance an axis will move in the event of an error. The speed limit set in the SLS SafeROBOTICS function can thus be configured closer to the point where there is real danger.

When commissioning some machines, it is necessary to make machine-specific settings for certain parameters, such as the homing offset or the unit system. You can now use the machine options function to selectively transfer the safety parameters from the functional application to a SafeMOTION module. These safe machine options can be used to update parameters, for example via the HMI application on the operator panel.

Visit the B&R website for more information on robot safety.

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