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EP-4741320-A1 - TRANSPORT SYSTEM

EP4741320A1EP 4741320 A1EP4741320 A1EP 4741320A1EP-4741320-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an electromagnetic transport system (1), either in the form of a long stator linear motor or in the form of a planar motor, with a stationary part or a stator (2) consisting of at least two or more stator segments (21, 22, 2i) and with at least one moveable part or shuttle (3, 3i), which is moveable relative to the stator (2) along a transport path. A magnet unit (4, 4i) is arranged on the at least one shuttle (3, 3i), which interacts electromagnetically with magnetic elements arranged on the stator (2) to move the shuttle (3, 3i) in at least one direction (T) of movement along the transport path. To increase operational safety and enhanced safety function, in particular Safe motion functionality to provide user interaction in a simple and cost-efficient way, the transport system (1) comprises at least one conventional transport device (5, 5i) replacing at least one of stator segments (2i) along the transport path, wherein the at least one shuttle (3) can be moved from a stator segment (21) to the conventional transport device (5, 5i) and from the conventional transport device (5, 5i) to another stator segment (22), wherein the at least one conventional transport device (5, 5i) at least comprises a drive unit (6) and conveying means (7), wherein the drive unit (6) drives and controls the conveying means (7) using safety functions to meet predefined safety requirements, wherein, wherever the conventional transport device (5, 5i) replaces at least one stator segment (2i), the conveying means (7) interacts with the at least one shuttle (3) in such a way that the at least one shuttle (3) is moved along with a movement of the conveying means (7), whereby the safety functions can be applied to the at least one shuttle (3).

Inventors

  • ROVELLI, DARIO

Assignees

  • ABB Schweiz AG

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241112

Claims (9)

  1. Electromagnetic transport system (1) with a stationary part or a stator (2) consisting of at least two or more stator segments (21, 22, 2i) and with at least one moveable part or shuttle (3, 3i), which is moveable relative to the stator (2) along a transport path, wherein a magnet unit (4, 4i) is arranged on the at least one shuttle (3, 3i), and wherein the magnet unit (4, 4i) of the at least one shuttle (3, 3i) interacts electromagnetically with magnetic elements arranged on the stator (2) to move the shuttle (3, 3i) in at least one direction (T) of movement along the transport path, characterized in that the transport system (1) comprises at least one conventional transport device (5, 5i) replacing at least one of stator segments (2i) along the transport path, in that the at least one conventional transport device (5, 5i) at least comprises a drive unit (6) and conveying means (7), wherein the drive unit (6) drives and controls the conveying means (7) using safety functions to meet predefined safety requirements, and in that , wherever the conventional transport device (5, 5i) replaces at least one stator segment (2i), the at least one shuttle (3) interacts with the conveying means (7) in such a way that the at least one shuttle (3) is moved along with a movement of the conveying means (7), whereby the safety functions can be applied to the at least one shuttle (3).
  2. Electromagnetic transport system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the conveying means (7) of the conventional transport device (5) comprises ferromagnetic material (8), which interacts with the magnet unit (4) of the at least one shuttle (3) to generate a magnetic attraction force (F A ).
  3. Electromagnetic transport system according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the at least one shuttle (3) interacts with the conveying means (7) due to friction (F F ) and/or the magnetic attraction force (F A ) generated between the ferromagnetic material (8) and the magnet unit (4) of the at least one shuttle (3).
  4. Electromagnetic transport system according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one shuttle (3) interacts with the conveying means (7) only due to the magnetic attraction force (F A ) generated between the ferromagnetic material (8) and the magnet unit (4) of the at least one shuttle (3).
  5. Electromagnetic transport system (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the conventional transport device (5, 5i) is designed as a continuous conveyor.
  6. Electromagnetic transport system (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the conveying means (7) is designed as conveyor belt or conveyor chain, in particular as modular conveyor belt or conveyor chain made of plastic.
  7. Electromagnetic transport system (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the safety functions fulfill safety requirements specified in the international IEC 61508 series of standard.
  8. Electromagnetic transport system (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the safety functions implemented in the drive unit (6) of the conventional transport device (5, 5i) comprises safety functions specified in the standard IEC 61800-5-2:2016 including at least safety functions like as Safe Torque Off, Safe Limited Speed, Safe Direction, Safe Limited Torque and Safe Limited Acceleration.
  9. Electromagnetic transport system (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the electromagnetic transport system (1) is designed as a long stator linear motor and/or planar motor.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to the field of plant engineering, in particular to the field of automation technology. The present invention relates to an electromagnetic transport system comprising a stationary part or a stator consisting of at least two or more stator segments and at least one moveable part or shuttle, which is moveable relative to the stator along a transport path, wherein a magnet unit is arranged on the at least one shuttle, and wherein the magnet unit of the at least one shuttle interacts electromagnetically with magnetic elements being arranged on the stator to move the shuttle in at least one direction of movement along the transport path. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Nowadays, in most of the modern manufacturing and production facilities, it is necessary to move components, workpieces, products, etc. between the individual handling and production stations using transport equipment. Various transport and conveying devices, are used for the transport of the components, workpieces, products, etc. Traditional transport systems like e.g., continuous conveyors, chain conveyors or conveyor belts in different designs can be used to transport and/or convey components, products, or workpieces. These traditional transport systems usually convert a rotary movement of an electric drive into a linear movement of e.g. a chain, belt, etc. However, the flexibility of traditional transport systems is considerably limited, especially the individual transport of single transport units is not possible. So, electromagnetic transport systems in the form of long stator linear motors (or short: LLM) and/or in the form of planar motors (short: PM) become more frequently used to meet the requirements of modern and flexible transport equipment in manufacturing and production facilities. Long stator linear motors and planar motors as well as their applications and their mode of operation are well known from the state of the art. Both motors - a long stator linear motor and a planar motor - comprise at least one movable part, which is also referred to as transport unit or shuttle, and a fixed part (the stator), with respect to which the at least one shuttle is moved due to interacting magnet fields in at least one direction of movement. For this purpose, a magnet unit, which comprises either electromagnets or permanent magnets, is arranged on one of the parts, e.g., the shuttle. The magnet unit interacts with the magnetic field generated by magnetic elements, e.g. energized drive coils, on the other part (e.g. the stator) to generate a propulsive force. If a voltage is applied to the drive coils, a magnetic field is generated, which interacts with the magnetic field of the magnet unit, thereby generating a force, which moves the shuttle. A moving magnetic field is generated by appropriate control of energizing the drive coils to move the shuttle along a predefined path along a transport track or within a transport plane. A long stator linear motor generally comprises a fixed part or stator, which is usually consists of many stator segments. The drive coils are usually arranged in fixed positions to each other on the stator or on the stator segments. The stator segments can have different geometries (e.g., straight lines, curves, track switches, etc.) and can be assembled into a desired stator by lining them up accordingly. The stator or several stator segments then form the transport track or transport path, along which at least one shuttle, usually several shuttles, is moved. For this purpose, several drive magnets building the magnet unit are arranged on the shuttle, wherein the magnetic field of the magnet unit interact with the electromagnetic field generated by energizing the drive coils of the stator. LLMs are known, for example, from WO 2013/143783 A1 or US2013/0074724 A1. Planar motors, which are used, for example, in production processes or transport processes requiring complex motion profiles, also have a stator like long stator linear motors. However, the stator or stator segments of the planar motor form a transport plane, in which one or more shuttles can be moved at least two-dimensionally. The drive coils of the planar motor are therefore arranged in the transport plane, in some embodiments also in several planes. A drive force, acting on the shuttle, is generated to move the shuttle e.g., along a transport path within the transport plane. For this purpose, a magnetic field, which is generated e.g., by the magnet unit of the shuttle, interacts with a magnetic field of the stator generated by energizing the drive coils accordingly. US 9,202,719 B2 or WO 2019/129576 A1, for example, disclose the basic structure and mode of operation of a planar motor. Since the basic motor principle of a long stator linear motor or of a planar motor is well known, so there is no need to go into further details here. Electromagnetic transport systems are nowadays more and more use