Press Release
Schmersal promotes HRC research project
Human-robot collaboration (HRC) should be safer in the context of Industry 4.0
Wuppertal, 11 April 2016. The Schmersal Group sponsors the “beyondSPAI” research project at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, with funding amounting to €45,000.
The aim of the project, which is directed by Professor Dr Norbert Jung of the Institute for Safety Research, is to improve safety during collaborations between humans and robots in industrial production. With the help of a multi-level sensor system and intelligent software, industrial robots are able to recognise when they are near to a human, in order to stop any dangerous movement in a timely manner. Therefore, inter alia, optical sensors and special process image processing algorithms are used in order to recognise human skin, and to identify human silhouettes. Thus, these sensor technologies enable direct and safe interaction between humans and robots without separating guard devices being required. The research project will run for three years, and its sponsors include the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Schmersal is the only project partner from the industry.
A further step towards the realisation of Industry 4.0
“Autonomous and sensor-supported robots, which can control themselves situationally, enable the optimisation of production processes. They make a significant contribution to the realisation of the “Industry 4.0” vision. Still, the safety of employees in human-robot collaboration must always be guaranteed – which is why we are supporting this important research project,” explains Michael Mandel, Executive Director of K.A. Schmersal GmbH & Co. KG. “For around fifteen years, the Schmersal Group has carried out research and development work in the field of robots and machine safety. We are looking forward to the exchange of expertise, and the new insights that we will gain through this project with the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences.”
Robot manufacturers use the Schmersal “Safety Controller”
One result of Schmersal’s research and development work is the “Safety Controller”. The so-called “Cartesian cams” are arranged so that they form a virtual working space. With the help of the safety controller, the robot monitors its own position and the speed of the axles. If the forces and speeds are low enough, and all the robot axles are kept in a virtual “cage”, the robot can interact directly with the human. By developing the Safety Controller, Schmersal has laid the foundations for one of the safety concepts currently used by leading robot manufacturers and which is beginning to really make its mark in the automotive industry (and others). The relevant customer-specific safety controller allows the implementation of functions such as “safe axle zone” and “safe speed”.
Image in print quality for download:
Image caption:
Light curtains can also be used to safeguard robotic workstations. New sensor technologies, which are being researched by the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, should enable direct cooperation between humans and robots, without the use of separating safety devices.
Press contact
Sylvia Blömker
Tel.: +49 0202 6474-895
K.A. Schmersal GmbH & Co. KG
Möddinghofe 30
42279 Wuppertal
Germany
About the Schmersal Group
In the demanding field of machine safety the Schmersal Group is one of the international market and competence leaders. Based on more than 25,000 different switching devices, the corporate group offers system solutions for the safety of man and machine.
The company was founded in 1945 and is represented by seven manufacturing sites on three continents with its own companies and sales partners in more than 60 nations. The Schmersal Group employs 1750 people worldwide and generated a group turnover in 2015 of approx. € 210 million.
Über die Schmersal Gruppe
Im anspruchsvollen Aufgabenfeld der Maschinensicherheit gehört die Schmersal Gruppe zu den internationalen Markt- und Kompetenzführern. Auf der Basis von über 25.000 verschiedenen Schaltgeräten bietet die Unternehmensgruppe Systemlösungen für die Sicherheit von Mensch und Maschine.
Das 1945 gegründete Unternehmen ist mit sieben Produktionsstandorten auf drei Kontinenten sowie eigenen Gesellschaften und Vertriebspartnern in mehr als 60 Nationen präsent. Die Schmersal Gruppe beschäftigt weltweit 1.750 Mitarbeiter und erzielte 2015 einen Gruppenumsatz von rd. 210 Mio. €.