Ensuring Safety for Two Painting Robots 

Safety technology Ensuring Safety for Two Painting Robots

2024-07-11 Source: Press release | Translated by AI 3 min Reading Time

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Bernstein AG recently commissioned two fully automatic powder coating robots for housing (parts) in its own production. Products from within the company ensure safety in handling the robots.

Two paint robots are used at Bernstein AG for powder coating of housing parts.(Image: Bernstein AG) — Two paint robots are used at Bernstein AG for powder coating of housing parts.
(Image: Bernstein AG)

In search of two reliable painting robots for their production site in Hille/Hartum, Germany, Bernstein, specialists in industrial safety and building technology, turned to the engineers of an experienced provider of complete painting systems. They needed two fully automated robots for successive powder coating of the front and back of housing parts. The key criteria for these robots included particularly high repeatability in the painting process to ensure consistently high coating quality. Additionally, the robots were required to work very efficiently, applying the powder paint sparingly and being precisely programmed to minimize waste.

Safety technology prevents access

For safety reasons, the robots work behind bars in a robot cell each, so that nobody gets injured when they are in motion. "As a provider of industrial safety and enclosure technology, it was obvious to rely on our own products for the necessary safety technology," said Bernd Borcherding, head of production in Hille/Hartum.

Gallery

As long as the respective painting robot is in motion, the lock switch with guard lock "SLC" denies access. The clearly visible emergency release, mounted on the front, allows immediate opening from the outside in an emergency.(Image: Bernstein AG)

The escape release, located on the back of the SLC, allows for immediate opening from the inside in case of an emergency.(Image: Bernstein AG)

Supervision of the two SLC locking switches is also handled by a Bernstein product, namely the programmable safety relay "SCR P".(Image: Bernstein AG)

The programmable safety relay "SCR P" in the control cabinet.(Image: Bernstein AG)

Gallery with 5 images

Said and done: As long as the respective painting robot is in motion, safety technology from Bernstein restricts access. For this, two safety interlock switches with lock are used, the "SLC". The SLC is located on each of the protective doors, which form the entrance to the safety area of each robot cell. The emergency release, mounted on the front of the SLC, allows the protective door to be immediately opened from the outside in an emergency. In contrast, the escape release, located on the back of the switch, allows immediate opening from the inside, should an emergency occur. The mechanically stressed component of the interlock switch, such as the rotating head, is made of metal. This makes it extremely robust and durable. On the other hand, the housing made of plastic is lightweight and functional.

A safety relay monitors the locking switches

The monitoring of the two SLC interlock switches is also carried out using an in-house product, namely the programmable safety relay "SCR P". Each robot cell is equipped with a separate SCR P, which is wired to the corresponding SLC interlock switch of the access door. Therefore, when the door is opened, only the painting robot of the associated safety area stops, not the second robot behind the other mesh door, which can continue to work unhindered.

The safety evaluations are interconnected so that the connected emergency stop devices stop the entire machine when it matters. The external emergency stop of the conveyor system, which transports the housing parts through the painting booths, can also be evaluated by the SCR-P devices and thus stop both robots in case of a standstill.

Reduced powder requirement

"With the newly integrated painting robots, we reduce the powder requirement per part while maintaining consistently high quality of the coated surface. We are more than satisfied with the implementation. The fact that we can rely on the safety technology was predictable, after all, we know the advantages of our own products very well," adds Bernd Borcherding. "Overall, a successful project and an investment in the future and in the satisfaction of our customers."

About the company

Founded in 1947, Bernstein now employs nearly 600 people in ten countries and is run as an internationally active family business in its third generation.
The company's product portfolio ranges from switches, sensors, and enclosures to support systems and operator terminals, up to system solutions for the operation and safeguarding of entire machines and installations.

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