Siemens Sinamics Kinematics Motion

Testing of one of our #Siemens #Motion applications using the #kinematics functions in the #s7-1500 #PLC. The final application runs much faster – unfortunately we can’t share this but we are happy to discuss your motion requirements.

NEW Eva Collaborative Robot being tested at Optima, Blackburn.

We’ve been trialling the new Eva Collaborative robot ready for use at some of our customer sites in the UK. The applications for this are limited only by your imagination and ingenuity. Collaborative robots still need guarding so we’ll be doing a full risk assessment of the installation and providing a safety control system that will be designed by our TUV-certified engineers for each of the installations. Please contact Optima if you would like a demonstration of this robot at your site or at our premises.

Since installing a Kuka robot to replace a custom label applicator robot in a critical part of the process at a major paper mill, Optima have now installed and commissioned over 6 Robot applications in a wide variety of industries.

These applications range from container handling to box and tin stacking applications often with multi-purpose gripper tooling to maximise asset use.

We have installed both ABB and Kuka robots, integrating them seamlessly into our own custom-designed cells with Siemens PLC controllers using the latest technology such as ProfiSafe interfaces to obtain maximum reliability and diagnostics from the robot cell safety system.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2k_6YNCOpM

Our customers are pleased with what we have achieved for them as one site engineer states:

“Improved reliability was the main aim for us; the new robot is now functioning 100% of the time so we can claim the whole project to be a success. It is critically important for us to maximise our machine up-times and the solution from Optima and Kuka is fully delivering on that promise. A number of other automation projects are planned and we are looking forward to working with Optima and KUKA Robots again.”

Safety Scanner Issues and EN999

Posted on July 2, 2024

Optima were recently asked to advise on a safety guarding application for one of our customers.

There had been a number of false trips of the laser scanner causing the machine to stop. As a result of this, a plastic chain ‘barrier’ had been fitted as a temporary measure with instructions to operators to not breach the barrier whilst the machine was running.

The customer naturally wanted this rectifying as soon as possible, so Optima performed a short-notice service visit to site.

On the site visit, our engineer noted that the scanner was showing a code which indicated that the front screen required cleaning.

Once the screen was cleaned thoroughly the scanner did not show any faults or errors and was in normal run mode.

However, we performed further checks on the original software to ensure that the scanner configuration still met the requirements of the safety guarding application.

The diagrams to the left show the Warning Field configuration (Yellow) and the Protective Field (Red). Both of these were confirmed to be operational.

The warning field causes the klaxon to operate and the protective field caused an emergency stop of the machine.

We did, however find a few concerns that needed to be addressed.

1. None of the scanner safety circuit had been documented on any drawings.

2. Non-compliance with EN999 ‘Safety of machinery – the positioning of protective equipment in respect of approach speeds of parts of the human body’ includes a formula to be used to calculate the distance from a hazard that a safety zone must be triggered. Based on the stopping times of the machine, the scanner was placed too close to the machine to be effective in an emergency.

We are working closedly with our customer to assist them with this application and help them achieve a safe and effective solution to this.

If you need any support with safety applications or other upgrades, please get in touch.

Industrial Automation and
Control Systems Engineering

Robotics

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Safety Scanner Issues and EN999

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