Adding and Removing a Robot from the AutoStore

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Remove Robot Procedure
• Manually Removing a Robot
• Add Robot Procedure
• Offset Calibration

Remove Robot Procedure

Via the Remove Robot Wizard

1. Click the minus robot icon in the Robot tab on the Console.
2. In the new window that opens, select the safe intervention zone from the dropdown list (this should be prepopulated) and type in the number of the robot to be removed.
3. Click Continue
4. Wait for the robot to move to the exit point.
5. Click Unlock Robot Door
6. Slide open the robot door. Ensure you open the door all the way. A 3-minute timer will start. If you do not complete the movement within that time, the system will stop, and you will have to restart the process.
7. Ensure the area is clear, then hold the control key and down arrow. An alarm will sound, and the robot will begin to move. It may take a moment for it to get started. Do not release the keys until the robot has stopped moving and the alarm has stopped beeping. If you release the keys before it is finished, you will have to restart the process.
8. An alarm will sound, and the robot will begin to move. It may take a moment for it to get started, as the wheels may do a brief calibration. Do not release the keys until the robot has stopped moving and the alarm has stopped beeping. If you release the keys before it is finished, you will have to restart the process. If the process is not completed or terminated within three minutes, AutoStore will stop.
9. Close the Robot door once the Robot is inside the Safe Intervention Zone.
10. Click Close to finish the procedure.
11. Turn the red switch on the back of the robot to OFFLINE 
12. Press the Robot Emergency Stop if you plan to inspect and / or service the Robot.

Note: When using the Remove Robot Wizard, the robot's mode in the Console Application will automatically switch to Service mode. 

Manually Removing a Robot

If a robot is stuck out on the grid due to an error, or otherwise needs to be removed manually:

1. Stop the system via the Customer Console (if the system is not already stopped).
2. Click the “Unlock Doors” button to unlock the grid door and robot door.
3. Open the grid and robot doors.
4. Use the SVU to get to the robot you wish to remove.
5. Turn the red switch on the back of the robot to OFFLINE 
6. Push the robot to the Service Grid. Use the control panel on the back of the robot to raise/lower the robot wheels in order to change direction as needed.
7. Once the robot is on the Service Grid and everyone is safely off the grid, close the doors.
8. In the Customer Console, select the robot you’ve removed and switch its mode to SERVICE.
   1. IMPORTANT! ANY TIME A ROBOT IS IN THE SERVICE AREA, IT MUST BE IN SERVICE MODE. Manually removing a robot does not automatically set the robot mode to Service. You must change the mode in the Console.
9. The system can now be started up again (no need to wait for the robot you’ve removed)
10. When the removed robot is ready to be added back into the system, follow the regular procedure using the Add Robot Wizard

Add Robot Procedure

The Add Robot Wizard must be used to add robots to the grid.

1. Ensure the robot is on the cell marked “ROBOT ENTRY”, all its wheels are in the down position, the lift is all the way in the top position, and the red switch on the back of the robot is switched to ONLINE.
2. Click the "+ Robot" icon in the Robot tab. A new window will open.
3. Select the correct Safe Intervention Zone from the dropdown list. (this should be prepopulated)
4. Type the number of the Robot to be added into the text field.
5. Choose the direction of the Robot. Refer to the Robot Orientation (North vs South). (This should be automatically populated when the robot number is entered, but it is good practice to double-check.)
6. Click Continue
7. Click Unlock Robot Door. A 3 minute timer will start. If the process is not completed or terminated within that time, the AutoStore will stop. 
8. Fully open the robot door.
9. Once the Robot door is open, hold the Left Ctrl and Arrow Up keys until the Robot stops on the Grid of its own accord. The robot will stop on the exit cells inside the grid. Close the door to continue.
10. Select one of the following actions to complete the process:
    • Activate: This sets the Robot in Planner mode for normal operation.
    • Charge: Moves the Robot to a charger.
    • Console: This keeps the Robot in Console mode at the exit point.
      • Kardex recommends setting the robot to Console mode and moving the robot to an open area to perform an Offset Calibration.

Offset Calibration

After adding a robot to the grid, it is recommended to perform an Offset Calibration. This procedure prevents errors by calibrating the robot’s track sensors and wheels to accurately align it on the grid.

1. On Step 10 of the Add Robot procedure above, choose Console mode.
2. Using the Viewer, select the robot, right click a cell away from any obstacles, and choose “Move Here”.
3. After the robot has moved to the selected cell, navigate to the “Offset Calibration” tab on the Robot Tab, and click “Start”. The robot will start cycles of moving in all directions. It will perform up to 80 loops of these movements. Typically, it will finish after 10 to 20 loops.
4. When the procedure is successfully completed, a notification is posted in the Event Log reading “CAL_COMPLETE”. The robot will automatically return to Planner mode.
   1. If the calibration is unsuccessful, try once more. If it still does not successfully complete the calibration, remove the robot from the system and perform further inspection.