A well-known pharmaceutical company's sterile formulation filling production line has deployed 8 high-precision filling robotic arms side by side, working in an A-level clean area (ISO 5 level) environment. These robotic arms need to seek safety protection solutions to replace traditional fence solutions.

The traditional solution (fence) and safety light curtain have the following pain points:

1. Limitations of safety light curtains: Light curtains can only protect fixed straight or flat areas. The range of motion of the robotic arm is large, and there are multiple operator intervention points (loading, inspection, maintenance). Multiple sets of light curtains need to be installed to form a "fence like" isolation, which seriously hinders the natural interaction between humans and machines and the flexible production process.

2. Rigid isolation of fences affects efficiency: Although fixed physical fences can ensure safety, they also isolate interaction between people and equipment. When material replenishment, equipment fine-tuning, or temporary maintenance is required, the machine must be stopped and the fence door must be opened, which seriously affects the production pace.

3. Large space occupation: The fence itself requires valuable workshop floor space, making it particularly bulky in a compact production line layout.

4. Poor flexibility: Once the layout of the production line needs to be adjusted, the dismantling and modification of fences and light curtains is very time-consuming and laborious.

In the face of the above challenges, we recommend the following solutions to our clients:

Multiple AS-33C laser radars have been installed in a distributed manner around the core operating area where 8 robotic arms are located, based on personnel flow and equipment layout.

Installation method: Taking full advantage of the compact size of the laser radar AS-33C, 8 AS-33C laser radars are installed at key positions around the production line, such as channel entrances, between robotic arms, and at the corners of equipment. Through careful point design, the laser radar beam is ensured to cover all areas where people can walk and stay, including the rear and side blind spots of the robotic arm.

Deployment plan: Each laser lidar works independently, emitting millimeter waves in real time and analyzing echoes, accurately detecting the presence of human bodies in the set area, and measuring their distance, speed, and angle. All laser radars are networked through a main controller, and the detection data is fused and processed to form a "dynamic biological radar map" covering the entire work area.

Emergency intervention/illegal intrusion: If personnel enter the core stopping area due to emergency situations or misoperation, the laser radar will trigger a signal instantly, and the filling robot arm will immediately stop within milliseconds to prevent harm to personnel and equipment.

Resumption of production: After personnel exit, it can be confirmed that production can be quickly resumed without the need for tedious fence door opening and closing and prolonged environmental recovery waiting.

1. Unparalleled cleanroom compatibility:

Eliminating cleaning dead corners: The surface of the LiDAR sensor itself is smooth and easy to wipe and disinfect, completely avoiding the cleaning difficulties caused by traditional fences.

Contactless detection: Lidar uses laser detection without physical contact with personnel or equipment, and does not introduce particle pollution. This is crucial for Class A clean areas.

2. Flexibility of production:

The system has implemented "security protection without the need to open the door". When personnel need to approach for auxiliary operations, as long as they do not enter the set "stop zone", the robotic arm can continue to operate.

3. Extremely high reliability and stability:

Against complex environment: the filling line may have slight water vapor, alcohol disinfection spray, etc., which may interfere with optical sensors (such as safety light curtain), but the millimeter wave laser radar can effectively penetrate and maintain stable operation.

Accurate recognition: It can reliably distinguish between high-speed moving robotic arms, moving medication bottles on conveyor belts, and slowly moving operators. Through parameter optimization, it can effectively avoid false shutdowns and ensure production continuity.

4. Flexible virtual area settings:

Set warning zones on both sides of the conveyor belt to alert personnel.

Set the area directly below the robotic arm body and filling needle as the core stop zone, and any unauthorized intrusion will immediately stop the machine.

Through software, it is possible to accurately set the boundaries of the attention warning alarm zone like "drawing".

5. Excellent cost-effectiveness:

Although the cost of a single LiDAR may be higher than that of a mechanical switch, considering that it replaces expensive cleanroom fences, reduces production downtime caused by door opening and closing, and lowers the risk of product contamination (which is the biggest cost savings), its total cost of ownership (TCO) throughout its entire lifecycle is highly competitive.