A mobile safety solution with secure user authentication

For a mobile robot station, HT Robotics wanted to ensure that only three authorised user groups gain access to the application – the access permission system PITreader S from Pilz provided the solution.

HT Robotics designed a mobile workstation for efficient loading and unloading of CNC machines. It is moved within the plant for use on various machine tools, depending on the production requirement. The island consists of a station with a removable carriage for loading and unloading blanks, a collaborative robot and control console.

In addition to safeguarding the mobile workstation, HT Robotics were also looking for an option to regulate access for three different operators (maintenance engineer, supervisor, operator). This task is performed by the modular access permission system PITreader S.

Regulating access to the mobile workstation from HT Robotics guarantees that only authorised operators can control the mobile workstation. As a result, with the access permission system PITreader S, critical situations due to misuse are avoided. For example, the maintenance engineer can make manual interventions, the supervisor can create codes and production sequences and the operator can start or stop the production cycle.

What’s more, flexible area monitoring was implemented around the mobile workstation with the safety laser scanner PSENscan: should an operator approach, PSENscan identifies this and forwards the information, so that the speed of the cobot is adjusted. Once the workspace is free again, the cobot returns to full speed.

These functions are controlled using the modular safety relay myPNOZ, as this evaluation unit is quick and simple to use. In this way, HT Robotics offers its customers a flexible workstation that includes a holistic safety concept – and thus guarantees productivity when loading CNC machines.

Paolo Bertello, project manager at HT Robotics, comments: “This application enables the machine to be operated via a central interface. In doing so the system is completely flexible: with PITreader, the machine can change operation from the manipulator to final processing, through to quality control. That’s three tasks in one solution.”