Alert Alphabot User manual

Alphabot
User Manual
1000004-MN-01 - Rev C
Manual Template PN: 1000020-FM-01 Rev A

© 2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
REPRODUCTION OF ANY PART OF THIS MANUAL IN ANY MEDIUM WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN
PERMISSION OF ALERT INNOVATION, INC. IS PROHIBITED.
This manual must always be placed in an operator accessible location near the Alphabot® System.
This manual is intended to provide generic information related to all models of Alphabot® System. Due to
specific design changes, contents of this manual may not entirely apply to the purchased model of the system.
Alert Innovation, Inc. will not take responsibility for any malfunction resulting from improper operation of the
Alphabot® System.
Alert Innovation, Inc. makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents hereof. In addition,
information contained herein is subject to change without notice. Every precaution has been taken in
preparation of this manual. Nevertheless, Alert Innovation, Inc. assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions
or any damages resulting from the use of the information contained in this publication.
Alphabot® and the Alert Innovation logo are registered U.S. trademarks of Alert Innovation, Inc.
Alphatote™ and the Alert Innovation logo are trademarks of Alert Innovation, Inc.
This technology is subject to United States export Administration Regulations and authorized to the destination
only. Diversion contrary to U.S. law is prohibited.
For any queries related to this manual, please contact our office at the address given below:
101 Billerica Avenue, Building 3
North Billerica, MA 01862
[phone]
Visit us Online: www.alertinnovation.com
Alphabot User Manual
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Table of Contents Alphabot User Manual
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Introduction 61.
Purpose & Scope of the Manual ......................................................................................... 61.1
Reference Documents ......................................................................................................... 71.2
Product Overview ................................................................................................................ 81.3
Supporting Products ............................................................................................................ 91.4
Totes and Sub-Totes .......................................................................................................... 101.5
Transit Planes .................................................................................................................... 111.6
Express Planes ................................................................................................................... 111.7
Static Workstation ............................................................................................................. 121.8
Dynamic Workstation / Picking Workstation .................................................................. 131.9
Master Control System (MCS) ........................................................................................... 141.10
Safety 152.
Personnel Safety ................................................................................................................ 162.1
2.1.1 Hazard Description ..................................................................................................... 16
2.1.2 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ........................................................................ 17
2.1.3 Environmental Safety ................................................................................................. 18
2.1.4 Inherent Safety Hazards of the Alphabot ................................................................. 19
2.1.5 Persons with Pacemakers ........................................................................................... 22
2.1.6 Fire Safety ................................................................................................................... 22
2.1.7 Seismic ........................................................................................................................ 22
2.1.8 Ergonomics ................................................................................................................. 23
2.1.9 RF Safety ..................................................................................................................... 23
2.1.10 Safety Equipment Rules ............................................................................................. 24
2.1.11 Corrective Action Records .......................................................................................... 25
Product Safety .................................................................................................................... 262.2
2.2.1 Bot Safety Features .................................................................................................... 26
2.2.1.1 Lockout/Tagout Standards ................................................................................................................. 26
2.2.1.2 Local E-Stop Button & Function ......................................................................................................... 28
2.2.1.3 Bot Lockout/Tagout Procedure .......................................................................................................... 28
2.2.1.4 Discharge Bot ....................................................................................................................................... 29
2.2.1.5 Safety Controller .................................................................................................................................. 29
2.2.1.6 Motion drives ....................................................................................................................................... 29
2.2.1.7 E-stop Command or System E-Stop .................................................................................................. 29
2.2.1.8 Mechanical Brakes ............................................................................................................................... 29
2.2.1.9 Bot Switch and Connector .................................................................................................................. 30
2.2.1.10 Mode Switch ........................................................................................................................................ 31
2.2.1.11 Manual Brake Release ......................................................................................................................... 32
2.2.2 Description and Location of Safety Labels ................................................................ 33

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2.2.3 Repair and Maintenance of Safety-Relevant Modules ............................................ 37
2.2.4 Decommissioning of Equipment ................................................................................ 37
2.2.5 Radiation Exposure Statement .................................................................................. 37
2.2.6 Description of the Alphabot System E-Stop Circuitry .............................................. 38
2.2.6.1 Bot: Emergency Stop and Safe Torque Off (STO) ............................................................................. 40
Hardware 413.
General Description ........................................................................................................... 413.1
Alphabot Components ...................................................................................................... 413.2
Bot LEDs ............................................................................................................................. 443.3
Master Safety PLC Operation ............................................................................................ 453.4
Safety Controller Safe States and User Interaction ......................................................... 463.5
Alphabot Architecture ....................................................................................................... 473.6
Alphabot Hardware Overview .......................................................................................... 483.7
Physical Specifications ....................................................................................................... 583.8
Power Requirements ......................................................................................................... 593.9
Technical Specifications, Capacity, Velocity ..................................................................... 593.10
Environmental Specifications ............................................................................................ 613.11
Lifecycle .............................................................................................................................. 613.12
Operation 624.
Overview ............................................................................................................................ 624.1
Theory of Operation .......................................................................................................... 634.2
Unpacking an Alphabot ..................................................................................................... 644.3
System Start ....................................................................................................................... 654.4
System Shutdown .............................................................................................................. 664.5
Bot Removal ....................................................................................................................... 664.6
Bot Induction ..................................................................................................................... 664.7
Alphabot Interactions with Workstations ....................................................................... 674.8
4.8.1 Picking ......................................................................................................................... 67
4.8.2 Load Product ............................................................................................................... 67
4.8.3 Pull Empty Tote .......................................................................................................... 67
4.8.4 Pull Product ................................................................................................................ 67
4.8.5 Load Order Tote ......................................................................................................... 67
4.8.6 Load Empty Tote ........................................................................................................ 67
4.8.7 Pull Order .................................................................................................................... 68
Troubleshooting 695.

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Scope of Troubleshooting ................................................................................................. 695.1
Regulatory Compliance Information 706.
Standards Compliance ....................................................................................................... 706.1
FCC Compliance ................................................................................................................. 726.2
ISED Regulatory Information ............................................................................................. 746.3
Revision History 767.

Alphabot User Manual
Introduction
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1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose & Scope of the Manual
This manual is intended to provide all necessary information for safe interaction with the
Alphabot.
This user manual details the safety information relating specifically to the Alphabot,
instructions to be followed by the user, steps involved in the operation of the bot, and
basic diagnostic procedures.
Note: The term Alphabot is interchangeable with "Bot". This manual uses both terms to
refer to the Alphabot.

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Introduction
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1.2 Reference Documents
Document Part Number / Link
Alert Academy https://academy.alertinnovation.com/
Alphabot System
Reference Guide
1010755-01
Alphabot Pre and
Post Procedures
1000067-SR-01
Alphabot APSD
System LOTO
Manual
1000035-SF-01
Acronyms and
Alert-Specific Terms
1000030-OP-01
Alphabot system
Master Control
System (MCS) User
Manual
1000016-MN-01

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Introduction
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1.3 Product Overview
The Alert Innovation, Inc. Alphabot is a compact, motorized, remote-controlled, semi-
autonomous vehicle with vertical and horizontal movement capabilities. Alphabots
handle all tote picking, transportation, and distribution within the larger “Alphabot
System.”
The Alphabot System includes storage modules, totes & sub-totes, tower modules, transit
planes, dynamic workstations, static workstations, and a Master Control System (MCS)
software. Alphabots are at the heart of this system, moving product from station to
station, and ultimately presenting the completed order to customers.
Alphabots have their own vertical-drive mechanism, which engages with vertical tracks in
the Alphabot System structure to allow each bot to move from one elevation to another.
A wheel retraction/extension mechanism enables the Alphabot to transition between
vertical and horizontal modes at any point, and travel horizontally to any storage or
workstation level. It is in this way that the Alphabot can transfer totes between its
payload bay, and storage-rack locations, using a simple single-motor mechanism.

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Introduction
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1.4 Supporting Products
The Alphabot is one part of the larger Alphabot System, working in concert with a
number of other Alert products to fulfill customer orders.
Individual Alphabots are inducted into the Alphabot System and commanded by the
Master Control System to arrive at workstations upon command. At the workstation, tote
containers are loaded with product and handed off to the Alphabot, which will carry
product throughout the system using structures, transit planes, and express planes.

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Introduction
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1.5 Totes and Sub-Totes
The Alphabot interacts with two kinds of totes, distinguished by their purpose: Product
Totes and Order Totes.
Product Totes are stored in racks within the Structure’s storage module aisles.
These totes contain “eaches” (individual items) that are made available to Pickers
as stock to fulfill orders for sale.
Order Totes contain all the picked product for any specific order.
Totes can be further divided into sub-totes, which are smaller compartments that can be
slotted into a tote. Each sub-tote contains its own product, or type of product. This
allows for higher tote density when storing small items.

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Introduction
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1.6 Transit Planes
Transit planes are uniform platforms that allow the Alphabots to move two-
dimensionally to access aisles and workstations. To reduce the amount of time a product
remains out of its desired environmental zone, each Transit Plane can be vertically split
into two zones: chilled and ambient.
The chilled portion connects frozen and chilled storage to a chilled dynamic workstation
and the ambient portion connects ambient storage to ambient dynamic workstations.
1.7 Express Planes
Express planes are platforms that allow the Alphabots to move between different storage
units, and can be used as buffer zones for the Alphabots to wait until a tower or lane is
available. The express planes are not connected to a workstation.

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Introduction
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1.8 Static Workstation
Static workstations are fixed workstations that provide an interface to introduce product
totes or sub-totes into the storage module of the Alphabot system. These workstations
are also meant for collecting the completed/dispensed orders and for exception handling,
a.k.a. “Hospital” functionality.

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Introduction
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1.9 Dynamic Workstation / Picking Workstation
Dynamic workstations / Picking workstations are used in the Alphabot system to pick
products from the product totes and place them in the order totes.
The Alphabot enters the picking workstation from a lower transit plane, ascends into the
transfer position in front of the picker, and then exits to an upper transit plane. To
ensure product accuracy, the workstation controller uses an overhead projector to
illuminate both the pick and put locations (pick-to-light and put-to-light). Chilled and
frozen products will be picked at a chilled workstation and ambient products will be
picked at an ambient workstation only.

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Introduction
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1.10 Master Control System (MCS)
MCS is an advanced software system responsible for processing all orders, scheduling all
Alphabot tasks, managing all bot moves to optimize flow and throughput while
preventing collisions between bots, and interfacing to the external systems. An MCS
dashboard provides information regarding the general system health, current asset
utilizations and system notifications.

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Safety
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2. Safety
This safety chapter explains the precautions and procedures for safe interaction with the
Alphabot. Where appropriate, this Safety chapter identifies the safety features of the
Alphabot, identifies components that pose a hazard if used incorrectly, provides
instructions for safe use and access to the Machinery, locations and meanings of safety
labeling, and regulatory compliances.
The Alphabot tote chains, sprockets, and drive wheels present a crushing hazard. Power
off the main board and lockout the power disconnect switch prior to performing any
maintenance on the internals of the bot.
Never perform tasks that you have not been trained to execute. Performing maintenance
or repair tasks can result in serious injury or death and may cause damage to the
equipment. Please contact DTE Support for assistance with the tasks outlined in this
manual.
Alphabots require manual startup and shutdown by trained and qualified operators.
Never enter the Alphabot System if you have not been trained to do so. Only
maintenance personnel trained to enter the Alphabot System may enter the locked entry
gate.
Proper lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures must be followed when performing service to
an Alphabot. Failure to do so can result in unexpected machine motion or release of
electrical energy.

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Safety
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2.1 Personnel Safety
2.1.1 Hazard Description
The Alphabot System shall be operated, maintained and serviced by trained personnel
only.
Safety pictograms and labels are located on the equipment and used within this manual
to make the user aware of potential hazards and to indicate lockout/tagout (LOTO)
locations.
Visual alarms indicate possible hazardous conditions. Anyone operating this system must
be fully conversant with all alarms and the actions to take when an alarm occurs.
Users must read the instruction manuals to gain a thorough understanding of the
equipment and always use good judgment. Follow good practices to use the latest edition
of any standards document to be compliant with safety requirements.
Installation, operation, and maintenance procedures that expose people, equipment, or
data to possible risk are accompanied by specific hazard warnings of varying degrees of
importance, as follows:
Danger DANGER indicates a hazardous situation which, if not
avoided, will result in death or serious injury.
Warning WARNING indicates a hazardous situation which, if
not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
Caution CAUTION indicates a hazardous situation or unsafe
practice which, if not avoided, may result in minor or
moderate personal injury.
Notice NOTICE indicates a situation or unsafe practice which,
if not avoided, may result in equipment damage.

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Safety
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2.1.2 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Some procedures in this manual require you to use personal protective equipment (PPE).
The necessary PPE is detailed at the start of each procedure. However, you should always
remain alert to the need to protect yourself while working in any capacity, on or near this
equipment.
The following symbols are used in this manual to indicate the type of equipment
required; note that each PPE needs to be inspected for defects before use:
Wear safety glasses or
goggles
Wear face shield
Wear protective gloves Wear shock resistant gloves
Wear protective footwear

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Safety
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2.1.3 Environmental Safety
Alert Innovation, Inc. is committed to designing and manufacturing products in an
environmentally responsible manner. Alert recognizes that eliminating certain hazardous
substances from our products is beneficial to the environment and to AI customers.
Dispose of capacitors in accordance with local
regulations for electronic waste.
Do not incinerate capacitors or recycle with
batteries.
Do no crush, cut, or otherwise damage the
capacitors.
Do no dispose the capacitors in trash.

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Safety
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2.1.4 Inherent Safety Hazards of the Alphabot
UNEXPECTED BOT MOTION
Ensure that the Alphabot's main board breaker switch is in the
OFF position, and that bot LOTO procedures have been
performed.
This will prevent the bot from executing any move commands.
No actuation of the tote chain or drive wheels can occur while the
breaker switch is OFF.
Failure to follow these guidelines could result in serious injury or
death.

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ELECTRICAL SHOCK HAZARD
Verify that the bot is fully discharged before beginning this
procedure.
Contact with the internal capacitor board prior to discharging the
bot will result in serious injury or death.
BODY CRUSH HAZARD
Do not stand under a Bot/object stuck in a tower at any level or
under any condition. Serious injury or death may occur. Use a
winch to attach the Bot from above when possible, or secure a
maintenance cart under the Bot/object before attempting to move
it.
Failure to comply will result in serious injury or death.
CRUSH HAZARD
Do not have any part of your body under the bot at any time.
While brakes are disengaged on the bot, the bot may roll off the
service cart or the rails. This presets a foot crush hazard.
Take special care while transferring the bot onto the cart. Ensure
the brakes are ENGAGED after bot has been moved onto the
service cart.
Failure to comply will result in serious injury or death.