Automating Safety Around High-Speed, High-Value Fibre Production
A large textile manufacturer approached FAST with a critical challenge: protecting staff who worked directly alongside high-speed rotating equipment used to produce one of the world’s toughest man-made fibres. The goal was to remove people from the most hazardous points of the process without disrupting a live, high-value production line.
Through close collaboration and rigorous safety validation, FAST designed and delivered the first collaborative, self-driving robot of its kind, a fully validated, scalable solution capable of running 24/7 and approved to TUV safety standards.
Challenge
The team at the client’s facility needed a solution to the age-old problem of staff working directly with high-speed rotating equipment, made more critical by the fact the line produces one of the world’s toughest man-made fibres.
The surrounding process environment added further complexity: chemical exposure and other rotating machinery operating on older infrastructure meant any automation solution had to be independently validated and approved, and scalable across multiple machines, sites, and geographies.
- Ensuring staff safety
- Toughest man-made fibre
- High-speed environment
- Chemical usage
Solution
FAST engineered a bespoke, autonomous moving 6-Axis robot to meet the client’s exacting safety and validation requirements:
First of Its Kind: Collaborative Self-Driving Robot
The solution uses the AMR’s navigation for macro movements throughout the factory floor and refines it’s micro movements using a 2.5D vision system.
- Dynamic sensitivity
- Higher payload achieved
- Minimises danger
- Industry recognised safety approval
Self-Driving Navigation with Dynamic Object Avoidance
The next-generation machine-tending robot operates with self-driving capabilities, enhanced with dynamic object avoidance algorithms. It navigates using natural geography and validates its position against its on-board map, and can adjust its sensitivity to the surrounding area and people dynamically.
Full Factory & Business System Integration
The robot is fully integrated into the factory control layer and other business systems over the Wi-Fi network, keeping it connected to the wider production environment.
Collaborative 6-Axis Arm with 3D Vision Control
The system features a collaborative 6-axis robotic arm with vision control across all three planes, X, Y and Z, for accurate pick and placement.
Summary
This deployment highlights FAST’s ability to design, deliver, and support safety-critical automation in demanding manufacturing environments. From first-of-its-kind collaborative robotics to rigorous, industry-recognised safety validation, we bring together the best of technology and collaboration to help our clients stay ahead.
