Safety is the No. 1 priority in robotic applications. Among the collaborations at the Universal Robots booth at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2024 was a SICK safety laser scanner sensing device directly mounted to UR’s robot arm.
From pick-and-place to handling and assembly to machine tending, the end-of-arm safeguard (EOAS) is designed to generate a protective field around gripper and workpiece to prevent the robot from hitting any object outside of its normal operation. The local protective field moves with the robot arm and reacts dynamically depending on the current position.
The EOAS is configured via a URCap with a three-step process:
- Determine “process points” so the normal environment can be taught to the sensor.
- Mount the sensor directly on the robot flange.
- Connect via two cables with M12.
According to SICK, the EOAS provides contactless and reliable Time of Flight (ToF) technology, and with deep integration into the UR ecosystem and a URCap available, the system can be installed within 15 min.
Key features of the EOAS include:
- Invisible IR protection shell with 40 laser beams
- Protective range up to 400 mm (adjustable, depending of length of tool and workpiece)
- Monitoring range up to 700 mm (speed reduction)
- Response time ≤110 ms.
Chris Savoia, head of Ecosystem, Americas at Universal Robots, showed Machine Design how the technology works, helping to safeguard the most dangerous area of most applications, which is when the robot arm goes down to pick.
