The safety unit for SCARA and Cartesian robots ensures safe operation with Safe Torque Off, speed monitoring, and area monitoring features, enhancing safety.
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. has launched the RCX3-SMU, a functional safety option unit for SCARA and Cartesian robots with three or more axes controlled by the RCX340 robot controller. With the rising demand for industrial robots driven by labour shortages, increasing labour costs, and the need for advanced automation in emerging fields like IoT and CASE, safety requirements for these robots are becoming more stringent.
The functional safety unit offers several key safety features to ensure the safe operation of industrial robots. One of the primary features is the Safe Torque Off (STO) function, which cuts off power to the controller to maintain a safe state. Complementing this is the Safe Stop 1 (SS1) function, which monitors the robot’s deceleration and stopping status and activates the STO if the robot fails to decelerate or stop correctly. The Speed Monitoring Function (SLS) also keeps track of the robot’s speed, triggering the SS1 function if the set speed is exceeded.
Some of the specifications of the RCX3-SMU include:
- Type: A speed monitoring unit
- Target robots: Standard robots with three or more axes that can be connected to the RCX340
- Maximum number of monitored axes: 4 axes
- Maximum number of monitored robots: 1 robot
- Main unit weight: 2.6kg
- Cooling Method: Forced Air Cooling
- Noise filter: Built-in noise filter
The unit also includes an Area Monitoring Function (SLP) that monitors the robot’s Cartesian coordinate and motor pulse positions, activating the SS1 function if the robot moves outside the set range. Furthermore, the Safety Input Function monitors the status of the safety input port. It executes the SS1 function based on the port’s status and the specific safety input function set for each port, such as emergency stop, mode select, or manual mode protection stop. Finally, the Safety Output Function indicates the set internal state, such as the emergency stop state or safe state, for each safety output port. These features collectively enhance the safety and reliability of industrial robot operations.
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