EchoRing emergency kit keeps robots running when cable connections fail
If wired communication cables between industrial robots fail, a wireless solution, the “EchoRing Emergency Kit,” keeps them running.
Suddenly the machine comes to a standstill: When wired communication paths to industrial robots fail, it has direct consequences for the production process – in the worst case, nothing works. The "EchoRing Emergency Kit" is available to ensure that operations can be resumed as quickly as possible, thus avoiding expensive downtime costs. It establishes a fully-fledged, radio-based replacement connection within the shortest possible time and ensures that production can continue immediately.
Production sequence is not endangered
"Wear and tear or human error can cause a cable connection to be interrupted from one moment to the next. This massively endangers the closely timed production process. After all, searching for the cause and eliminating the fault can take a long time. The EchoRing emergency kit establishes a wireless connection via radio data transmission where cables were previously used and thus maintains operation," explains Florian Bonanati, one of two CEO of R3 Solutions GmbH, which developed the kit for robot emergencies. The technology uses two tricks to achieve the highest deterministic reliability with very low reaction time, i.e., real-time – a ring communication method is combined with so-called massive cooperation.
The connection can be maintained over a more extended period
The connection is established without the change of medium affecting the robot's control technology. And: it can be used for several months. A decisive advantage is if the fault can only be rectified at the next scheduled maintenance or if extensive repairs are necessary. The EchoRing emergency kit has proven its efficiency at the BMW Group's Leipzig plant, among other places. There it was used in productive operation for just over a year and withstood the high demands of complex robot systems.
EchoRing Emergency Kit adapts to individual requirements
The EchoRing Emergency Kit contains all hardware components required to bridge defective cable routes via radio data transmission immediately. These include "EchoRing Ethernet Bridges" with the corresponding antennas and installation cables, device-specific adapter kits (for PROFINET communication, for example), and individual accessories for mounting the EchoRing components on the respective robot. Essential for the user: the kit can be individually adapted to the customer-specific requirements. For the benefit of a fast, user-friendly configuration of the EchoRing radio network, a tablet is optionally available with which the user can view information on the radio quality at any time.
The EchoRing Emergency Kit is compatible with numerous robot systems such as ABB, FANUC, and KUKA and fulfills all requirements to meet the highest safety standards via radio.
