FEATURE Automated Warehousing
Safety fi rst for warehouse automation
By Dave Scott, Technical Support Engineer at Pilz
W
ith increased levels of automation, it is more important than ever to ensure warehouse
environments are safe.
Safe-automation expert Pilz off ers an extensive portfolio of safety services, training and safe automation solutions. Getting on board as early as the design phase, when the system concept is developed, Pilz consultants provide support for new projects or retrofi ts, right through to commissioning and sign-off . State-of-the-art product solutions are also available, incorporating control and sensor technology through to operating, monitoring and connectivity. These include access management solutions – ensuring tasks such as maintenance can only be carried out by authorised and trained personnel; industrial security – preventing manipulation of systems by external sources; danger zone protection – bringing operations to a safe stop or safe speed if the zone is encroached by personnel; and safe operation of AGV or AMR systems – enabling safe stopping or navigation and interaction within shared work spaces. However, the single biggest game-changer
spurred on by responses to the virus has been an across-the-board switch to online retail and home deliveries – everything, from the weekly shop to home luxuries, is now being delivered to the door. As a result, established supply chain models, with focus on traditional retail, are proving increasingly ineffi cient at coping with the combined impact of all these factors.
42 May 2022 | Automation Fortunately, there are answers to these
problems: enhanced warehouse automation and microfulfi lment. Understanding how to implement them can be an issue, especially for customers with demanding and complex requirements, such as e-commerce platforms, freight handling at airports, and post and parcel operations.
Safety from the start
Safety is always one of the top considerations when implementing an automation project, however it is also often not considered at the beginning of the project. This can lead to project revisions and redesigns to achieve safety compliance or simply safety that doesn’t impinge on productivity, which adds to costs and time.
Drawing on both experience gained in similar applications and extensive knowledge of national and international regulations, Pilz consultants can assist throughout the project lifecycle, off ering solutions that, for example, create individual safety zones to enable maintenance where only the relevant zones need to be shut down. Retrospectively, they can also advise on measures required to bring safety in line with current safety legislation and state-of-the-art technology.
Access for authorised persons When a safety system is in place, it is vital that the level of safety is ensured at all phases of operation and isn’t susceptible to either unintentional or malicious tampering. Current safety technology enables complete control of who can carry out tasks during
regular operation, maintenance or service. For example, PITmode operating mode selection and access permission systems allow employees who are trained, competent and authorised to be given access that corresponds to their skills using coded transponder keys with RFID technology – a far cry from passwords on post-it notes or shared keys. With increased digitalisation comes
increased risk from network-based attacks and unauthorised access to control systems. The fi rewall SafetyBridge protects controllers from manipulation by monitoring data traffi c between PC and controller to fl ag up unauthorised changes to control projects.
Zone protection
In addition to monitoring access to danger zones, zone monitoring technology such as PSENscan safety laser scanners or PSENradar safe radar systems can also be implemented together with safe control technology such as the PNOZmulti to ensure that personnel operating within ‘hidden’ danger zones – behind a large loading crane, for example. These zones can be detected and an unexpected start-up can thereby be prevented. With the new Safe Radar technology this can even be achieved in rugged environments since it is insensitive to external elements.
CONTACT:
Pilz
www.pilz.co.uk
automationmagazine.co.uk
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