With the increasing popularity of man-machine collaboration today, how to implement secure man-machine collaboration applications has been the focus of discussion in the industry. With the continuous progress of industrial automation technology, the future production environment will be more intelligent and flexible, in the process of this transformation, Operational Safety Intelligence has become a core concept, indicating the future trend of industrial production.

In the networked production process, mechanical safety and information security are key factors for success, and the corresponding safety technology must be considered when building flexible production units, and functional safety must be integrated in the production process. At the 2024 Hannover Fair, Germany, which ended in April, the research platform Smart Factory KL, together with TUV SUD, PILZ and other partners, demonstrated a simulated production line that integrates the concept of intelligent operation safety. This new model of man-machine collaboration has attracted many attention.

YS1700-000A34 Human-centered visualization

Under the concept of safe and intelligent operation, the production process can adapt to human behavior. In short, through the integration of sensors and controllers, safety risks are dynamically assessed and production speeds are autonomously adjusted according to the position and direction of movement of personnel. When the operator approaches the hazardous area, production is gradually slowed down in stages, and only stops in the event of an emergency, and this shutdown can be localized, stopping only the affected area. At this time, the equipment is still in some dynamic planning, when the direction of movement is detected away from the production equipment, the production equipment can be switched to the production state, and the production efficiency is also improved under the premise of full consideration of safety.

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Artificial intelligence in industrial production

Artificial intelligence lays the foundation for new possibilities. Sensors work in tandem with controllers to autonomously assess security risks and address them using artificial intelligence. YS1700-000A34 Advances in sensor technology provide strong support for operational safety intelligence. Modern sensors dynamically detect human movement to determine position and calculate motion vectors for precise derivation of application scenarios to provide real-time data for security systems. This means being able to trigger different actions depending on the person’s position and direction of movement. Even if the person is still in the warning area or protected area of the device, if they are moving away, then the stopped part of the device can be restarted earlier and at a normal speed. In addition, the sensors can distinguish between people and objects, and if an object, such as an automated guided vehicle AGV system, approaches the device and crosses the boundary of a warning area or protected area, the production speed of the device does not have to be reduced. This intelligent response mechanism not only improves production efficiency, but also reduces unnecessary downtime due to safety considerations.