Page 5 - Industrial Terchnology EXTA 22nd March 2021

Typical AGV two-scanner mounting
and integration

hazardous situations, whether
as part of fixed machinery, or
integrated into mobile vehicles
such as AGVs, driverless
forklifts, or service robots. Able
to integrate with other safety
devices, reach long protection
ranges, and keep watch over
several hazardous zones
simultaneously, scanners mean
machines stay available for
longer and vehicles can deliver
more or heavier loads in less
time.
Innovations such as Safe
HDDM (high definition distance
measurement) can now reliably
filter out the false signals
tiggered by environmental conditions such as dust beginning. Think about blind zones, coverage, and
particles, weld sparks, insects or poor light the location of hazards surrounding the machine. It
conditions. The technology has even become stable could save you a world of pain.
enough to enable scanners to operate in a safety-
rated application outdoors, for example using Sick’s 2. Set correct multiple-sample values
outdoorScan3. Multiple sampling is a term to describe how many
But, scanners are complex devices, and it’s all full scans are needed to detect an obtrusion in the
too easy to fall foul of some common pitfalls, so safety field. In most cases the default, and the
here are seven tips to avoid common mistakes to minimum, is to set the scanner to two scans. The
avoid along the way to a successful installation. higher the number of scans set, the less likely it will
be that environmental conditions will cause false
1. Design in from the beginning triggers. But, while multiple samples make
Bolting on a scanner only once a machine has been detection more reliable and increase uptime, each
built and almost completely set up is all too additional scan essentially adds an ‘off-delay’ to the
common. Before too long, blind spots will be reaction time of the system, so the protective area
discovered and mechanical patches and even may need to be bigger to give the scanner enough
investment in more scanners to cover the area may time to respond, otherwise a hazard could be
be necessary. created.
If you know you are going to be using a safety If you increase the multiple sampling, make a
laser scanner on your machine, design it in from the note of the safety laser scanner’s new response

March 2021 • INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY EXTRA • p5