What evolving robotic requirements imply for implementations of cobots

Industrial automation continues as a fast-growing market, with producers and finish customers of every kind wanting to reap the advantages of dependable and speedy execution for a lot of forms of duties. Some folks consider autonomous automobiles, remote-controlled drones, and software program “bots” as robots, however industrial robots and cobots are characterised as programmable manipulators of three or extra axes.

Many industries use conventional robots, which have skilled a 7% compound annual progress price (CAGR) over the previous 5 years, in accordance with the Worldwide Federation of Robotics (IFR). Nevertheless, the marketplace for force- and power-limited robots — generally known as collaborative robots or cobots — in its infancy, and the IFR predicted that its progress price may very well be a lot stronger.

Whereas each robots and cobot arms embody provisions to guard staff, cobots are designed to work side-by-side with plant personnel. Numerous security requirements have been established for each forms of programs, and every class has been independently acknowledged (Determine 1).

Determine 1: Robots and cobot requirements are evolving, and this can have an effect on how designers and authentic gear producers adjust to security necessities. Supply: IDEC

The protection necessities for every type of robots are evolving. Designers, authentic gear producers (OEMs), and finish customers must know what the brand new requirements imply for his or her implementations, as defined beneath.

Requirements differentiate for industrial robots and cobots

The traditional industrial robotic most individuals consider is massive, highly effective, and quick. It’s preferrred for purposes which can be troublesome or harmful for folks, reminiscent of manipulating massive payloads, repetitively performing correct duties, and/or working in difficult environments.

There are various variations of those robots and the instruments/grippers they use, however frequent examples of the duties they carry out are welding, portray, meeting, and materials dealing with. These robots are sometimes positioned inside safety-fenced work cells to maintain plant personnel away from them when in operation.

Cobots are a subcategory of robots which can be comparatively light-weight and designed to collaborate with people. As a result of pace and pressure are restricted, such programs can function in shared workspaces to securely to help with, or utterly carry out, many duties.

As well as, cobots are designed to be simply configured or programmed to allow them to be incessantly re-deployed for a number of purposes. Cobot makers say this function democratizes the implementation of those programs.

Customers typically configure these robots by manually directing the manipulator arm via the specified operation. These traits allow cobots to be launched into guide work environments the place no such automation beforehand existed.

Beforehand, the ISO 10218 sequence customary utilized to industrial robots and robotic programs, whereas the ISO/TS 15066 customary addressed collaborative programs. A revised ISO 10218 sequence was printed in 2025, with ISO 10218-1 addressing industrial robots, and ISO 10218-2 overlaying industrial robotic programs, robotic purposes, and robotic cells.

Successfully, all robotic sorts are built-in into one customary sequence, with out the earlier robotic/cobot distinction and differentiation. The identical guidelines apply to all industrial robots, and the time period “collaborative robotic” is eradicated. As an alternative, the brand new ISO 10218 requirements now emphasize that when an operator and a robotic coexist or collaborate in the identical area, then your complete system have to be handled as a collaborative utility.

Be aware that the economic robotic class consists of the manipulator—consisting of a number of arms—and the related controller and educate pendant. An industrial robotic system consists of the robotic finish effector or device, work merchandise, related equipment, safeguards and sensing units, and guard {hardware}.

A brand new class of robotic is outlined

With the brand new customary, two lessons of robots are outlined:

• Robotic Class I: Outlined as robots designed for a complete manipulator mass of 10 kg (22 lb.) and below, with a most pressure of 50N and fewer, and a most pace of 250mm/s (0.5 mph) and below.
• Robotic Class II: Outlined as robots designed for a complete manipulator mass, a most pressure, and/or a most pace exceeding any of the values for a Robotic Class I.

Subsequently, Robotic Class I entails smaller, lighter robots extra more likely to work round people, whereas Class II are bigger, heavier robots. The usual permits Class I robots to do sure collaborative duties with none security options.

For Class II robots for use in collaborative purposes, a number of of the next safety-oriented applied sciences have to be added, relying on the appliance:

• Velocity and separation monitoring (SSM): Ensures a minimal distance between robotic and human is maintained throughout operation; this may be achieved by integrating a security laser scanner into the appliance, which makes use of mirrored laser beams to detect if a human or different object is current.
• Energy and pressure limiting (PFL): Ensures that even when a robotic and human come into contact, the human is unhurt.
• Hand-guided controls (HGC): Employees management the robotic movement for a collaborative portion of the duty, and the robotic executes an automatic activity as soon as the employee presses a hold-to-run button.

Each lessons of robots will want sure frequent security performance, reminiscent of hardwired emergency cease (estop) buttons. The bigger Class II robots can have a larger want for protected/restricted zone security units, which may embody cage door interlock switches, gentle curtain sensors, security laser scanners, and different types of a presence-sensing system (PSD). These measures are crucial to detect staff within the protecting/restricted zone of a robotic.

Moreover, most robots embody some possibility for a educate pendant, which is a sort of human-machine interface (HMI) normally cable-connected in such a method as to permit the person to maneuver about with it a bit.

Instructing pendant necessities for protected cobots

Robotic educate pendants could have digital components but additionally would possibly want some particular hardwired units, relying on the purposes. Security capabilities for these purposes are required to be hardwired, versus touchscreen controls. A key instance of a hardwired operate apart from an e-stop is an enabling swap.

Determine 2: The IDEC HExB sequence of three-position enabling switches adjust to IEC 60947-5-8, allowing robots to function solely when customers are consciously holding the swap in a mid-position. Tools will cease if the operator squeezes too laborious or releases the swap. Supply: IDEC

An enabling swap—typically colloquially often known as a “useless man’s swap” or extra formally as a three-position enabling (3PE) system—is a hardwired swap organized on the educating pendant the place it’s handy for the person to grip it. When the operator wishes the robotic to run, they have to positively maintain the allow swap in a mid-position to allow hold-to-run management performance.

Letting go of the enabling swap for any motive, or gripping the swap too tightly reminiscent of in a panic or electrical shock scenario, instantly stops robotic operation. These switches are specified by IEC 60947-5-8 (Determine 2).

For Class II robots, it’s obligatory for the educating pendant to incorporate a 3PE system as a result of hazard concerned if an operator is in proximity to the robotic in guide mode. For Class I robots, a threat evaluation have to be carried out to see if that is needed.

For Class I robots, if enough threat discount is achieved via a threat evaluation, the usage of 3PE swap will not be required.

Nevertheless, below the brand new customary for Class I robots, if a educate pendant is used to provoke movement for frequent guide duties reminiscent of upkeep or troubleshooting, then integrating a 3PE swap is probably going the easiest way to attain compliance.

Or, if the robotic is operated utilizing HGC, then a 3PE swap could also be a superb possibility.

How interface designs can adjust to the brand new customary

Robotic OEMs sometimes create their very own educate pendants, whether or not absolutely personalized, or assembled from different business off-the-shelf (COTS) parts, or a mixture of the 2. Smaller robots with fewer axes simply want primary pendants, however bigger and extra succesful robots typically have pendants with touchscreen HMIs.

Shifting ahead, these OEMs could must adapt their designs to incorporate 3PE switches that adjust to IEC 60947-5-8. This might contain pricey revisions to customized {hardware}. Nevertheless, there’s another choice in the marketplace that may assist OEMs ship an entire and protected resolution, whereas benefiting from the newest COTS interface expertise.

Trendy consumer-grade tablets already provide the show dimension and computing energy wanted to supply a wealthy person interface and visualization expertise for a lot of forms of automation. These may very well be helpful for industrial applicaitons, however that is solely doable if the pill may be bodily protected, provided with energy, linked to networking, and incorporate the mandatory hardwired security/management parts.

Determine 3: The IDEC HT4P Security Commander can be utilized by OEMs to include digital HMI capabilities utilizing tablets, whereas complying with ISO 10218 sequence requirements for security. Supply: IDEC

A brand new cell system holder is offered to satisfy all these necessities (Determine 3). Key options embody:

• Incorporates wired energy and networking, a hardwired estop with LED indicator and retrofittable guard, and a hardwired 3PE swap
• Functionality to combine different hardwired units reminiscent of a guide/computerized customary or keyed mode selector swap, begin/restart swap/ reset swap, and/or a standard cease swap
• Adjustable grippers to carry tablets as much as 33 cm (13 in.)
• Means to lock the holder in vertical/portrait or horizontal/panorama orientation.
• Might be handheld by left- and right-handed customers, with a hand or shoulder strap to reduce fatigue.
• Rated IP54, with a large working temperature vary, and drop resistance examined to 1.2 m (3.9 ft.)
• Obtainable cable lengths of 5 via 20 m (16.4 to 65.6 ft.), and a wall-mount bracket.

Utilizing this cell system holder for robotics purposes, OEMs can rapidly and economically develop and deploy educate pendants compliant with the ISO 10218 sequence requirements whereas utilizing cheap tablets to supply a complete HMI.

Requirements change to maintain robots protected

Robotic security requirements are altering and are anticipated to influence the quickly rising market share of cobots. Nevertheless, OEMs can strategy this evolution as a chance to supply safer gear, with larger options that differentiate their choices.

Requirements-compliant 3PE switches and cell system holders are cost-effective COTS merchandise that may add important flexibility and functionality to robotic designs, whereas guaranteeing compliance with related security requirements.

In regards to the writer

Luiz Shida is a advertising and marketing specialist at IDEC Corp. and answerable for security product advertising and marketing. Since becoming a member of IDEC Japan headquarters greater than seven years in the past, he has develop into licensed as a security sub-assessor in Japan. Shida can also be a specialist in security merchandise.