Safety Application at Smurfit Corrugated Cases

Smurfit Corrugated Cases employs an Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV) to both pick up and drop off product to and from several different production lines throughout its manufacturing facility in Walkinstown, Dublin. As one would expect it is vital that this vehicle does not accidentally come into contact with personnel, plant or product during its travel. The AGV was fitted with pressure sensitive bumpers at both front and rear, which would stop the vehicle in the event of a collision. However any collision could cause substantial injury or damage to personnel or plant, therefore a failsafe method of preventing such a collision was investigated.

Mechanical guarding was ruled out because of the complex route that the AGV took. Access for personnel and other vehicles to the AGV's route had to be maintained. The only solution that could guarantee total safety and maintain accessibility for personnel and equipment to the vehicle's route was found to be the Proximity Laser Scanner (PLS). The PLS is a programmable non-contact Category 3 safety device with both Warning Zone and Safety Zone features. The PLS is capable of scanning up to a 180 degree arc at a maximum radius of 15m, and completes 2 scans per degree. Any variation of the above is also programmable. Typically a Warning Zone of perhaps 10 metres radius and a Safety Zone of perhaps 4 metres radius are created. With this flexibility it was possible to mount a PLS at each end of the AGV which would scan a field in front of the vehicle to detect an object's presence. The unit was programmed to provide the AGV with the following features:

1. A Warning Zone was created whereby the AGV would reduce its speed and sound a warning siren when an object was detected inside this zone. This allowed operators or equipment to be moved from the AGV's path without the need for actually stopping it.

2. A Safety Zone was created whereby the AGV would come to a complete stop in the event of a person or object intruding upon this zone. This meant that direct contact was prevented at all times.

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