FEATURE Robotics
KEEPING YOUR COBOTS COMPLIANT KEEPING YOUR COBOTS COMPLIANT
Matt Androsiuk of Cobots and Machinery Safety (FANUC UK’s cobot safety partner) outlines how to get ahead of the proposed changes to cobot safety standards
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nown for their ability to share the same workspace as human employees, collaborative robots (or cobots) are now a mainstay of
the industrial robotics sector. Lightweight, be moved around a factory with ease, they have proved popular with manufacturers. The most recent IFR statistics show that cobot installations worldwide grew by 31% year-on- year in 2022 to 54,868 units, representing 10% of the total robot installations. Cobots are also considered a safer option than traditional industrial robots. Until now, cobots have fallen under the technical some users falling short of meeting their safety obligations. A recent project by the updated to take account of the technological changes and advancements in collaborative has recently reviewed the changes to the standards ahead of them being released later this year.
What will this change mean for cobot users and integrators? Any changes to the regulatory landscape can seem daunting to a that needs to meet required safety standards, but also the components which form part of the application. Now that the area of
cobot safety is being improved to align it with industrial robot safety standards, end users need to be aware of the potential it will provide the information required to is harmonised to the Machinery Directive, it marking.
Integrators and end users are required to complete a detailed risk assessment to identify the risks that both the robot and the application present. Where integrators and end users are not familiar with the risk assessment process, support from independent safety specialists should be sought. It is important that integrators and end users move away from the ‘cobot’ analogy and start to think of cobots as robots for collaborative applications. By generating an audit trail via a fully traceable risk assessment, manufacturers will be fully understand the risks involved with cobot integration, have measures in place to control them, and are therefore compliant with the new standard.
The risk assessment should cover a number of stages in regard to identifying hazards, to enable integrators and end users CE Marking. These may include, but are not limited to: calibrated force sensors to measure the collision forces in the event of a collision with the cobot and documenting the results. or virtual guarding is required, or if risk can be mitigated through power and force limitation, or whether a combination of risk
18 February 2025 | Automation
reduction measures is required. body model and the risk assessment to identify the areas of the body which could be struck in the event of a collision. This will then be validated.
software function that monitors a robot’s technology that enables safer operation and reduces risk in system design. The use system designers a new method when “Making higher payload collaborative and software solutions that can be validated and ensure risk-free operation. We have successfully implemented these types of solutions with robots with over one tonne payload. It’s the technology that makes this FANUC UK. As with any area of machine safety, it is always best to seek advice from your cobot supplier or an independent safety consultant if you are in any doubt as to your cobot or application’s compliance with the proposed new safety standard. This is relevant not view, but also because the end user or cobot system integrator has a legal responsibility to show compliance to PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations). If your cobot or associated processes do not meet the new safety standard, then you will not be PUWER-compliant, either.
FANUC UK/Cobots and Machinery Safety
www.cobotsmachinerysafety.co.uk
automationmagazine.co.uk
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