PACKAGING S
ICK has launched an industry-first safety light curtain system for Smart Box Detection, designed to enable the continuous safe material flow of cartons or cuboid goods at the entry
or exit points of protected areas, while safeguarding people from dangerous materials- handling, conveying or packaging machinery. The SICK Smart Box Detection system is a plug-
and-play automation solution for the SICK deTec4 Safety Light Curtain. It uses intelligent pattern recognition to detect cuboid objects, and even some cylindrical goods that produce a cuboid- shaped silhouette, and differentiate them from people. Unnecessary stoppages are therefore avoided, for example at the in- and outfeeds of packaging machinery, or close to loading and unloading machinery in intralogistics facilities. The protected area above the material remains safeguarded by the light curtain at all times.
NO MUTING SENSORS OR TUNNELS The SICK deTec4 Smart Box Detection is the first safety system of its kind to facilitate safe material flow without having to receive signals from an external machine controller. It removes the need to use muting sensors, which take up space, require maintenance and can be easily knocked or damaged. The SICK deTEC4 Smart Box Detection system can also replace the tunnel guards that are frequently used to provide protection at the openings of machines. As a result, the
SICK LAUNCHES SMART BOX DETECTION FOR SAFE CONTINUOUS MATERIAL FLOW
maximum distance to the hazard can be reduced by more than half. The SICK Smart Box Detection system is quick and easy to configure using dip switches integrated into the SP2 system plug, so there is no requirement to use a laptop or software. There’s also no need for any additional teach-in, programming, mounting or wiring. Each system can be configured to meet the needs of the application, and if objects of different heights and lengths are being detected, for example on a conveyor, there is no need to teach them in or to adjust the configuration of the safety solution.
PRODUCTIVITY GAINS Martin Kidman, SICK UK’s market product manager for Safety Solutions, comments: “Installing a SICK Smart Box Detection system can improve productivity significantly. This will
MAKE FEWER MISTAKES IN PACKAGING AND ASSEMBLY WITH IFM MATE
tasks, the novel ifm mate assistance system tracks the movement of a worker’s hands to ensure they have selected the right components in the correct sequence. Should they miss a component or deviate from the pre- programmed digital work instruction sequence, the system provides an alert so that the error can be corrected immediately. Typical applications include packing, where items have to be picked from multiple containers and placed in a box in the correct order, and product assembly, where components are taken from containers in a pre-set sequence and mounted on a workpiece. The system can also be used as a training aid, guiding workers step-by-step through an unfamiliar process by way of a video sequence or image. The ifm mate system has three essential elements: a computing unit, the ifm mate software, and a combined 2D/3D camera which tracks the workers hands at all times and captures both video and still images. Also available is a display screen that clearly shows the location of the next component
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esigned specifically to provide training, guidance and support for manual packing and assembly
be welcomed both by machine builders and end users in a wide range of industrial and logistics facilities e.g. in goods inward areas where top- and sideloaders are in operation; or in secondary packaging lines, or on the outfeed of rejected boxes.
“There are also both cost- and space-saving
benefits from installing Smart Box Detection. Machine designers can build new machinery in a smaller footprint, while production teams can remove tunnels, or eliminate the need to keep an inventory of muting sensors, for example.” “Using SICK’s innovative deTec4 safety light
or items to be selected and the locations from which components have already been taken. The camera is typically mounted above a table or bench where the assembly or packing takes place, while the screen is positioned in a location where it is easily visible to the worker. Freely programmable, the ifm mate system can be quickly and easily adapted to suit a wide range of tasks and it is equally suitable for use with right and left-handed workers. In practice it helps to increase productivity and it virtually eliminates costly packing or assembly errors, thereby improving quality and minimising the risk of customer complaints.
ifm electronic
www.ifm.com/gb/en
curtain means boxes can also be measured, if needed, without additional sensors by transmitting beam data over IO-Link. The user could then combine with speed data to calculate volume. Diagnostic information accessed via either Near Field Communications or IO-Link makes it easier for operators to investigate machine stoppages in real time, as well as making informed service decisions for predictive machine maintenance.” The SICK deTec4 Prime offers protective field heights in increments from 300mm to 2,100mm and a choice of finger (14mm) or hand (30mm) resolution providing protection against operator intervention in accordance with ISO 13855 in applications covering up to 21 metres. It is a Type 4 device (IEC 61496), enabling compliance in applications with requirements up to PLe (ISO 13849) and SIL 3 (IEC 62061).
SICK
www.sick.co.uk
Spring 2023 UKManufacturing
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