A Risk Assessment of Piql Services by FFI

Figure 5.2 The operations of the piqlVault system. Source: Element Logic AS

The main structure of the piqlVault system is an aluminium grid which can be expanded upon demand. Within this grid, piqlBins are stacked on top of one another, a feature which adds additional stability to the otherwise quite sturdy structure. There is minimal electronic presence inside this grid. Most of the electronics are located at the top of the grid, where robots – in the case of the piqlVault system outlined above: two robots – zoom around. The robots run on batteries which last for about a day. Near one end of the grid, there are charging stations, where the robots can charge its batteries. Attached to the grid, there is a service mezzanine where the robots are offloaded for repairs. The robots require very little electricity, meaning that the risk of electrical fire, though present, is not as high as one would assume with a fully automated system. Neither is the amount of heat dissipation. 10 Upon request, the robots pick up the correct piqlBins containing the piqlBoxes which were ordered and transport them to an operator port where a human operator can retrieve them. The movement of the robots is managed by a Controller, which must be situated onsite on the service mezzanine connected to the gird. The Controller sends commands to the robots through radio signals telling them which piqlBins to pick up and where to deliver them. The robot then lowers a lifting unit attached to it down into the grid to retrieve the indicated piqlBin, but the electronics involved in this process are minimal, so there is very little fire hazard. Piql AS has also made a backup plan for manually extracting the piqlBins in case of prolonged power failure [29]. After having retrieved the correct piqlBin, the robot delivers it to the correct operator port. This is the second location in the system where there is a concentration of electronics, with sensors, ―normal‖ computers and barcode readers. A redundant energy supplier is not part of the standard outfit of the piqlVault, but this is possible to facilitate into the piqlVault system. There is, however, a backup generator which lasts for 24 hours.

10 See appendix C.1.

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FFI-RAPPORT 16/00707