Laser safety scanner adapts to AGVs

摘要

When Weyerhaeuser identifies a safety measure that can be improved, the need is documented, and steps are taken to put better safety measures in place. Such a need arose within Weyerhaeuser's Containerboard Packaging business where corrugated paper transfers between work centers. The work centers employ automated transfer carts, or "auto carts," which are automated guided vehicles (AGVs) mounted with conveyors. Auto carts transfer stacks of corrugated paper blanks to work centers that convert the corrugated material into containers of different sizes. They move back and forth between lines to make sure that corrugated material from the correct source is delivered to the correct work center. The auto carts, which move according to control signals provided by onboard PLCs, in the past incorporated a system of mechanical bumpers to make sure that no human was injured by a moving cart. However, mechanical bumpers still need to come into contact with people before the control system could force the cart to stop. These "pinch points" caused several ankle injuries, and prompted Weyerhaeuser to search for a solution.