TOPICS
Provide diverse applications for realizing safety, ANSHIN, and well-being
As part of our efforts to fulfill our Purpose—to create the optimum environment for humans and machines, and to achieve safety, ANSHIN, and well-being for people around the world, we develop and supply a broad range of products and systems designed to solve the needs of customers in not only the factory automation industry but also many other sectors. The main focuses of our medium-term management plan are HMI and safety, and there is growing demand for collaborative safety / Safety2.0, whereby humans and machines collaborate for greater safety.
Accordingly, we are expanding our diverse lineup of applications that can improve worker well-being by enabling the creation of environments where people can work with ANSHIN.
| Emergency-stop assist system | ANSHIN Sensor | Trapping prevention system for aerial work platforms |
We hold a 70% share of Japan’s market in emergency-stop switches, offering international standard-compliant products that incorporate our proprietary safety technology. Once activated, emergency-stop switches reliably stop the machines they control.
However, they need to be pushed to operate, and this can be an issue when they are installed on mobile robots such as automatic guided vehicles (AGV) and autonomous mobile robots (AMR), which have soared in demand in recent years. For example, when a robot is in motion it can be difficult to push the emergency-stop switch and attempting to do so may place the worker at risk of being struck or
trapped by the robot. Meanwhile, because of population decline, the growing shift toward automation, and other factors, the use of selfdriving vehicles and many other types of robots is likely to expand in the years ahead. We have responded to this safety challenge Recent years have seen a greater deployment of collaborative
robots, which can operate alongside humans in diverse settings without the use of safety barriers. They are designed to stop moving upon contact, thereby eliminating the risk for serious collision injuries to humans. However, personnel may still feel uneasy about the risk of collision, even if minor. Also, the robots need to be restarted every time they automatically stop. Issues such as these can negatively affect productivity, efficiency, and worker well-being.
Our ANSHIN Sensor can temporarily stop robotic movement in by developing an emergency-stop assist system that enables personnel to activate emergency stops from a safe position.
Our system is wireless switch worn on the arm of the worker in charge. By operating this switch, the worker can stop the AMR, AGV, or other robot in the same manner as pushing the emergency-stop switch installed on the robot. Since this system enables stops to be made from a safe position away from the robot, it helps to provide ANSHIN to operators.
A study of the system’s impact showed that it provides significant benefits, including with regard to hazard prevention, worker confidence, and emergency stopping performance.
Recent years have seen a greater deployment of collaborative robots, which can operate alongside humans in diverse settings without the use of safety barriers. They are designed to stop moving upon contact, thereby eliminating the risk for serious collision injuries to humans. However, personnel may still feel uneasy about the risk of collision, even if minor. Also, the robots need to be restarted every time they automatically stop. Issues such as these can negatively affect productivity, efficiency, and worker well-being.
Our ANSHIN Sensor can temporarily stop robotic movement in by developing an emergency-stop assist system that enables personnel to activate emergency stops from a safe position.
Our system is wireless switch worn on the arm of the worker in charge. By operating this switch, the worker can stop the AMR, AGV, or other robot in the same manner as pushing the emergency-stop switch installed on the robot. Since this system enables stops to be made from a safe position away from the robot, it helps to provide ANSHIN to operators.
A study of the system’s impact showed that it provides significant benefits, including with regard to hazard prevention, worker confidence, and emergency stopping performance. response to proximity or even gentle contact, and can be applied to collaborative robots, AMR/AGV and other mobile systems, production lines where people and robots work together, and so forth. It thus can allay worker anxiety about machine contact and prevent the loss of productivity that comes
from full shutdown of collaborative robots, other automated equipment, or production lines.
A key principle of occupational safety management is to separate humans from machines by distance and time. However, this can be difficult to achieve at construction sites, as attested by the many cases of serious worker accidents due to contact with construction equipment. To help solve this issue, we have created a trapping prevention system that incorporates various sensors and an ergonomically designed three-position enabling switch we developed.
This system can be used on aerial work platforms to prevent personnel from becoming trapped against building structures such as ceilings and frames, thus protecting them from serious bodily injury. The greater safety and ANSHIN afforded to workers enhances their well-being.