Bosch Rexroth specialises in advanced drive and control technologies. At its Customer and Innovation Centre in Ulm, Germany, it develops innovative solutions for the future of automation, such as the Smart Flex Effector, a compensation module aiming to revolutionise the industry.

“When you think about a robot in the factory, you usually think of a six-axis robot assembling parts or building a car, or something like that,” explains David Lehmann, System Architect at Bosch Rexroth. “The robots have some kind of tool at the tip, like a gripper. The compensation module is the part that goes between the robot arm and the gripper. The Smart Flex Effector stands out due to its ability to provide compliance (flexibility in response to forces) in six degrees of freedom (movement in three-dimensional space).

“We can measure the deflection (change in position) of the tool with high precision with an integrated sensor system. This allows us to perform complex tasks, such as precise assembly operations, that usually only humans can do. Our slogan, ‘Automate the impossible’, sums it up nicely. Our goal with this product is to enable robots to perform new tasks that they are traditionally not good at, thereby increasing efficiency and productivity.”

Connectivity challenges

To enable the robots to perform these new tasks, the Smart Flex Effector needs to exchange position measurement data with the robot controllers, including information about the deflection of the tool and control signals for the module’s locked and unlocked states.

However, connecting the Smart Flex Effector to robot controllers was challenging, as David explains. “Our product was available, but we had difficulties installing it at our customer’s sites. When we talked to our customers, the feedback was often the same: ‘You have this serial interface, but I don’t want to spend two weeks or more trying to connect it with my robot controller. I do not have the time or the resources to do that.’”

To solve these connectivity challenges, Bosch Rexroth turned to HMS Networks who provided the Anybus Communicator Common Ethernet, a ready-made protocol converter capable of connecting serial devices to EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP or PROFINET controllers.

A key benefit of the Anybus Communicator Common Ethernet was that the same unit can connect to all the major Ethernet protocols, as David describes: “This Anybus protocol converter was the ideal solution for us because we can reconfigure it with a firmware update and with just one unit, we are able to provide the connection to the different protocols.”

The Anybus Communicator’s intuitive user interface also won some new fans. “The interface is really nice. Before selling it to our customers, we tested it for ourselves in our lab where application engineers completed feasibility studies, for example. They all said that it was easy and straightforward to complete the required configurations via the web interface, which was important to us as we have customers that are not experts in automation and robotics.”

The fact that the Anybus Communicator could be installed via a web browser was a further plus point. “Both we at Bosch and our customers prefer not to install third-party configuration software. It adds security risks and complexity – just getting the required admin rights often delays installations.”

The complete solution

The Smart Flex Effector and Anybus Communicator have worked so well together that Bosch Rexroth includes the Anybus Communicator as part of a complete solution. “We decided to create an order number for the Anybus convertor, so that customers could buy it directly from us. So, we sell both devices together as a complete solution.”

With the addition of the Anybus Communicator, Bosch Rexroth can easily connect to all the major Industrial Ethernet protocols, and as a result have significantly expanded its market. “Now we really can address more or less the whole market,” David concludes. “We can cover everything; we haven’t found a robot with a fieldbus connection that is not supported by this Anybus convertor yet.”

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The number of industrial robots operating in factories worldwide continues to rise. To use robots efficiently and maximise productivity, companies attach robot accessories to the robots to enable the robots to perform different tasks.

RSP (Robot System Products) specialises in developing, producing, and installing the required robot accessories. When RSP started to develop a new range of tool changers, it needed to meet its customers’ expectations and provide a tool changer capable of connecting to the factory networks. However, developing the required networking technology is a complicated task outside RSP’s expertise.

Happily for everyone, RSP found Anybus solutions from HMS. HMS helped embed an Anybus communication interface into the tool changer enabling connectivity with the factory’s network and allowing RSP to remain focused on making world-leading robot accessories.

“Our strength lies in the specialised knowledge gained from working with industrial robotics for almost 20 years,” explains Henrik Hofström, marketing manager at RSP. “This specialised knowledge enables us to make robust, versatile industrial robot accessories that help our customers improve robot flexibility and increase productivity.”

The requirements for a smart and connected industry affect every step in the automation process. So, when RSP was developing its Moduflex series, a new line of tool changers specially designed to carry heavy payloads, it needed to move with the times and provide a modern tool changer that could connect to automation networks.

To maintain the tool changer’s compact form, RSP preferred to embed the networking technology within the tool changer. RSP also needed a data communication interface that allowed easy and reliable connectivity to any factory system, regardless of the network protocol.

However, developing the required networking technology is neither easy nor what has made RSP a global leader. “We’re experts in robotics, not industrial networking,” explains Mats Thunell, senior engineer at RSP. “We want to remain focused on robotics, so we didn’t want to invest the time and money to develop an in-house networking solution as that’s outside our area of expertise. Fortunately, we found a good solution with Anybus that allows both companies to focus on what they’re good at, Robotics for us and networking for Anybus.”

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Mobile robots transport materials from one location to another and come in two types, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). AGVs use guiding infrastructure (wires reflectors, reflectors, or magnetic strips) to follow predetermined routes. If an object blocks an AGV’s path, the AGV stops and waits until the object is removed.

AMRs are more dynamic. They navigate via maps and use data from cameras, built-in sensors, or laser scanners to detect their surroundings and choose the most efficient route. If an object blocks an AMR’s planned route, it selects another route. As AMRs are not reliant on guiding infrastructure, they’re quicker to install and can adapt to logistical changes.

There are, however, a number of communication and safety challenges in the use of mobile robots:

1. Establish a wireless connection

The first challenge is to select the most suitable wireless technology. The usual advice is to establish the requirements, evaluate the standards, and choose the best match. Sometimes a Bluetooth connection will be ideal as it offers a stable non-congested connection, while other applications will require a high-speed, secure cellular connection.

The second challenge is to ensure that the installation works as planned. Before installing a wireless solution, complete a predictive site survey based on facility drawings to ensure the mobile robots have sufficient signal coverage throughout the location. The site survey should identify the optimal location for the access points, the correct antenna type, the optimal antenna angle, and how to mitigate interference. After the installation, use wireless sniffer tools to check the design and adjust APs or antenna as required.

2. Connecting to industrial networks

Mobile robots need to communicate with controllers at the relevant site even though the mobile robots and controllers are often using different industrial protocols. For example, an AGV might use CANopen while the controller might use Profinet. Furthermore, it might be desirable to use the same AGV model on a different site where the controller uses another industrial network, such as EtherCAT.

Mobile robots need to have sufficient capacity to process the required amount of data, which will vary depending on the size and type of installation. Large installations may use more data as the routing algorithms need to cover a larger area, more vehicles, and more potential routes. Navigation systems such as vision navigation process images and therefore require more processing power than installations using other navigation systems such as reflectors. This leads to a number of challenges:

• The networking technology needs to support all major fieldbus and industrial Ethernet networks.
• It needs to be easy to change the networking technology to enable the mobile robot to communicate on the same industrial network as the controller without changing the hardware design.
• The networking technology must have sufficient capacity and functionality to process the required data.

3. Creating a safe system

Creating a system where mobile robots can safely transport material is a critical but challenging task. The system needs to consider all the diverse types of mobile robots, structures, and people in the environment. The mobile robots need to be able to react to outside actions, such as someone opening a safety door or pushing an emergency stop button, and that the networking solution can process different safety protocols and interfaces.

AMRs move freely, so the risk of collisions must be managed accordingly. The technology used in sensors is constantly evolving, while the safety standards provide guidelines on implementing safety-related components, preparing the environment and maintaining machines or equipment.

While compliance with the different safety standards (ISO, DIN, IEC, ANSI, etc) is mostly voluntary, machine builders in the European Union are legally required to follow the safety standards in the machinery directives. Machinery directive 2006/42/EC is always applicable for mobile robots, and in some applications, directive 2014/30/EU might also be relevant as it regulates the electromagnetic compatibility of equipment.

Although the other safety standards are not mandatory, they should still be followed as they help to fulfil the requirements in machinery directive 2006/42/EC. For example, the guidance in ISO 12100 can be used to reduce identified risks to an acceptable residual risk. ISO 13849 or IEC 62061 can be used to find the required safety level for each risk and ensure that the corresponding safety-related function meets the defined requirements.

As examples of how certain safety levels can be achieved, decreasing the speed of the mobile robot can lower the risk of collisions and severity of injuries to an acceptable level. Or mobile robots can operate only in separated zones where human access is prohibited (defined as confined zones in ISO 3691-4).

Identifying the correct standards and implementing the requirements is the best way to create a safe system. But as this summary suggests, it’s a complicated and time-consuming process.

4. Ensuring a reliable CAN communication 

A reliable and easy-to-implement standard since the 1980s, communication-based on CAN technology is still growing in popularity. CAN is simple, energy and cost-efficient. All the devices on the network can access all the information, and it’s an open standard, meaning that users can adapt and extend the messages to meet their needs.

In the use of mobile robots, establishing a CAN connection enables monitoring of the lithium-ion batteries increasingly used in the drive systems, either in retrofit systems or in new installations.

5. Accessing mobile robots remotely

The ability to remotely access a machine’s control system can enable mobile robot engineers to troubleshoot and resolve most problems without traveling to the site. The challenge is to create a remote access solution that balances the needs of the IT department with the needs of the engineer.

The IT department wants to ensure that the network remains secure, reliable, and retains integrity. As a result, the remote access solution should include the following security measures:

• Use outbound connections rather than inbound connections to keep the impact on the firewall to a minimum.
• Separate the relevant traffic from the rest of the network.
• Encrypt and protect all traffic to ensure its confidentiality and integrity.
• Ensure that vendors work in line with or are certified to relevant security standards such as ISO 27001
• Ensure that suppliers complete regular security audits.

The engineer wants an easy-to-use and dependable system. It should be easy for users to connect to the mobile robots and access the required information. If the installation might change, it should be easy to scale the number of robots as required. If the mobile robots are in a different country from the vendors or engineers, the networking infrastructure must have sufficient coverage and redundancy to guarantee availability worldwide.

As we’ve seen, mobile robot installations involve many communication and safety challenges. Enlisting purpose-built third-party communication solutions such as those provided by HMS Networks not only solves the communication challenges at hand, it also provides other benefits.

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The STERISAFE-Pro robot from INFUSER produces Ozone (O3) by using the oxygen (O2) already present in the room. All that is needed is electricity and water. By diffusing Ozone and a fine mist of water, it is possible to expose all surfaces in a room. The Ozone oxidizes the membrane or shell of bacteria, viruses and fungi, leading to total deactivation of these micro-organisms.

The Ozone-saturated atmosphere in the room is sustained for a defined period of time, during which the pathogenic micro-organisms are killed on surfaces and in the air. Ozone naturally turns back to Oxygen after having reacted with pathogens and other pollutants, leaving no chemical residue.

Robust wireless access needed

Although ozone is a naturally occurring gas, it is harmful at high concentration levels and the STERISAFE-Pro requires that the operator is outside the sealed room while the robot runs its cycle. The operator uses a tablet which is connected wirelessly to the PLC inside the robot. INFUSER has created an app which the operator uses to control the robot. The app interfaces with the built-in webserver in the PLC.

That sounds easy enough, but accessing a PLC which is inside a hermetically sealed, stainless steel machine which performs surface disinfection, demanded a wireless solution with high performance.

“When we first started developing STERISAFE-Pro, we used a regular commercial access point, but we soon realized that we needed something more robust and advanced,” says Thomas Clapper, production responsible at INFUSER. “We needed an access point that was omni-radiant and also 100% sealed. This is when we came across the Anybus Wireless Bolt from HMS Industrial Networks.”

The Anybus Wireless Bolt is a wireless access point for on-machine mounting. It can communicate via WLAN or Bluetooth up to 100 meters and is built for harsh industrial conditions both when it comes to the physical housing and the wireless communication.

“We use WLAN to communicate between the PLC inside the robot and the tablet and really benefit from the robust communication that the Wireless Bolt offers,” says Clapper. “We also needed to design unique connections for each robot/tablet-pair, so that it is possible to run several machines in the same area without radio interference. This is also something that the Anybus Wireless Bolt allowed us to do.”

Tough demands

But the project has not been without challenges. One issue that INFUSER ran into was that Ozone sets tough demands on durability. Although the Wireless Bolt is IP67-classed (meaning that it is waterproof down to 1m depth), INFUSER still found that the rubber washer on the Bolt was not Ozone proof.

But since the Anybus Wireless Bolt is mounted in a standard M50 hole, it was easy to find a replacement – a washer that HMS now can offer as an alternative to their offering too.

“Implementing the Wireless Bolt was very smooth indeed,” says Clapper. »We had communication set up in a matter of minutes and have really not had any issues when it comes to the wireless communication. The Wireless Bolt is simply a very reliable and sturdy wireless solution.”

The Anybus Wireless Bolt is connected to the PLC inside the STERISAFE-Pro robot using Ethernet. The Wireless Bolt can communicate via WLAN or Bluetooth up to 100m.

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