What are the important considerations when assessing cobot safety?
reducing the hazards and risks associated with the application. ISO 10218 includes a list of safety features that can be appropriate in various circumstances but no definitive requirements. ISO/TS 15066 brings additional details to cobot risk assessments. In each case, the goal of the risk assessment is to identify external safety devices and systems needed to ensure the safe implementation of collaborative applications. For a deeper dive into risk assessment and robots, see the article "Safely and Efficiently Integrating AMRs into Industry 4.0 Operations for Maximum Benefit."
Continuum of collaboration There is no single collaborative application. People and cobots can interact and collaborate in a continuum of ways. Collaborative applications range from co- existence, where a robot stops under power when a person enters the collaborative workspace, to an interactive activity with the person touching the cobot while in operation (Figure 1). A risk assessment is required to identify the safety needs of individual collaborative applications. It includes identifying, evaluating, and
Protection and efficiency
While cobots are designed for safe operation, additional protection layers can improve collaborative applications' efficiency. Without additional safety, when a person enters the collaborative workspace, ISO/TS 15066 mandates a maximum speed of 0.25 meters per second (m/s) per axis. For most cobots, that's very slow. For example, the LXMRL12S0000 Lexium cobot from Schneider Electric has a maximum payload of 12 kilograms (kg), an operating radius (working range) of 1327 millimeters (mm), positioning
Figure 1: Human and robot collaboration includes a broad range of possible levels of interaction. (Image source: SICK)
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