Balluff multiple limit switches enhance robot movement safety in Vauxhall Astra plant
Balluff multiple limit switches enhance robot movement safety in Vauxhall Astra plant
Keywords Automotive industry, Balluff, Robots, Safety
Balluff supplies a range of multiple limit switches, particularly suitable where the need is to enhance personnel safety within highly automated areas of industry.
Currently, they are in use at Vauxhall Motors' Ellesmere Port plant, where BNS 113/100 multiple limit switches have been supplied by Multiswitch Balluff UK for fitting to Fanuc S-420i robots on the new Astra "body-in-white" welding facility. Intended to safeguard personnel working in the manual load stations within each robot cell work-zone, the switches prevent the robot arm from entering the area when an operator is present.
Installation is in conjunction with mechanical guards or photoelectric light curtains, all linked via a monitoring relay. A circular cam-tray, in heavy-duty aluminium, is bolted to each robot base, and supports the hardened steel cams which operate the safety limit switches. The flexible four- or six-way system allows up to three load stations per robot to be protected: customised cams are available from 15°to 345°, according to the demands of individual load station areas, and provide continuous feedback on the status of the robot operating zone.
One of the Balluff multiple limit switch safety systems installed on a Fanuc S-420i
Long-term system safety and reliability is assured by the BSE 85 snap-action safety switch, rugged die-cast aluminium housing and ball-bearing rollers, combined with dual channel monitoring and the positive fixing of the operating cams. The switches may be supplied pre-wired, with either Brad Harrison or Harting-type connectors.
Similar systems may be fitted on a wide variety of robot types throughout the automotive and related sectors. For machine tool and other automatic sequencing applications, safety and position control contacts can be combined within a single multiple limit switch, thereby reducing the number of individual switches required, with associated economies in cabling and installation costs.
For further information contact Tel: +44 (0) 161 437 1234; Fax: +44 (0) 161 436 5951.
