MACHINE BUILDING, FRAMEWORKS & SAFETY FEATURE


the whole range of SYNERGi flexible robot cells to market successfully, says Ingham. To protect and enhance the benefits of the flexible cell concept, the safety system had to minimise machine downtime and become second nature, almost invisible, to operators. “Automation should never make life harder. It


should always make it easier,” Ingham continues. “Our machine cells have to be adapted into our customers’ work practices without the technology being too expensive or complex.” So, Mills CNC turned to machinery safety


specialists at SICK – and together they worked to integrate safety systems that enable productivity and maximum uptime, while being completely transparent for the user.


sAfety solutions


“Implementing SICK’s network safety has been a massive game-changer for us in bringing the machines to market,” says Ingham. “Less sophisticated systems would have required a complete shutdown whenever the robot and operator inhabited the same space, requiring a reset and restart. They would have also required complex wiring that could have been difficult, if not impossible, to implement.” All Mills CNC’s automated SYNERGi flexible


manufacturing cells are fitted with the latest SICK sensor hardware. Each of the five automated drawers of the SYNERGi Premier system is fitted with a SICK TR110 safety interlock with guard locking. A SICK microScan3 safety laser scanner is positioned at the foot of the robot to allow safe access for setters into the machine cell. At the heart of the safety concept is the


SICK EFI Pro network technology, which supports direct integration of the SICK sensors and the robot controls via Ethernet/IP CIP Safety up to SIL3/PLe. “The number one challenge for us was


finding a system that could talk natively, using the same protocols as the robot,” Ingham explains. “Without the direct connection through the SICK EFI-Pro system over a single Ethernet cable, the integration would have been much more difficult, and more costly. “The SICK TR110 interlock interacts directly


with the Fanuc Dual Check Safety (DCS) control architecture of the robot cell system via CIP Safety. The DCS system enables me to draw 3-dimensional boxes around the drawer catches to restrict the movement of the robot and ensure clearance for the operator.” The SICK Safe EFI-Pro system is SICK’s


safety network for industrial automation, based on the CIP Safety protocol. It enables safe


Chris Ingham from Mills CNC (left) and Dr Martin Kidman from SICK (right)


communication between SICK EFI-Pro devices like the microScan3, other SICK sensors, and third-party CIP-Safety devices like robot controllers, through the SICK Flexi Soft safety controller and a SICK EFI-Pro gateway. The SICK EFI-Pro system also enables full remote diagnostics so that the system’s performance is recorded and monitored. Mills CNC opted to use the 9m range


microScan3 Core using SICK Safe HDDM multiple scanning technology on all their SYNERGi systems to control safe access for setters into the cell. The SICK safety system enables the scanner to be used as the primary safety device with two protective fields to slow the robot down before it enters a full stop. The SICK Safe EFI-Pro system enables safe


human and robot collaboration with minimal effort. High-performance simultaneous protective monitoring of multiple fields means less switching between monitoring cases, so dynamic protective fields can be shorter, and therefore more responsive and efficient.


A compAct solution


“With the microScan3 you can minimise the floor space and, by slowing the robot down and enabling continued operation, you are increasing productivity dramatically. The alternative would have been a fully enclosed cell and reduced uptime,” adds Ingham. “Thanks to the SICK dynamic EFI-pro


system, the fields can be set closer in, to take up less floor space, and the robot can continue to operate safely for as long as possible, so maximum uptime is maintained.” SICK UK’s national machinery safety product


manager, Martin Kidman, explains: “For Mills CNC, the EFI Pro system is allowing safe collaboration between the Fanuc robot’s DCS and the TR110 interlocking concept to perform complex safety-rated logic functions on the machine to the required standards. “It enables direct data transfer to the safety


The SICK Safe EFI-Pro system enables safe communication through SICK Flexi Soft


control of the robot over one Ethernet cable with no hard wiring. Without this, each safety function would increase the wire capacity


exponentially. A complex system such as this would need hundreds of wires or could even be completely impossible. “Downtime is the enemy of any production


process. Mills CNC have demonstrated a masterclass in delivering productivity through safety in their new SYNERGi automated manufacturing cells. With the benefit of the SICK safe EFI-Pro dynamic network safety, we have been able to work in partnership to engineer a complex system from a safety point of view that achieves ease and simplicity with seamless integration for Mills CNC customers.”


The 9m range microScan3 Core using SICK Safe HDDM multiple scanning technology was selected by the company


SICK www.sick.co.uk


DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022 DESIGN SOLUTIONS 15


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