Safety

In these days industrial robots usually do not have the afforded safe sensors to react to their environment, such as dodging humans, fences, etc. Depending on weight and speed of the robot, heavy injuries may occur.

This is the reason why standards and safety instructions regulate the handling with robots and the protection by safety fences and light curtains.

Current safety instructions specify that industrial robots are only allowed to be used in isolated areas. These areas are to be protected by fences or light barrier. The robot is deactivated in the automatic mode when a human enters the safety zone.

However, this isolation of the robot at many tasks is not possible or desirable. Therefore, the normative frame for assisting robots is currently revised.

What is even more aggravated, is that the robot system is integrated into a complete work system. Different hazards from different sources, which are also mutually reinforcing, must therefore taken into account.

Overview of most important standards for industrial robots:

EN ISO 12100-1 EN ISO 12100-2	Safety of machines
EN 954 was substituted by EN ISO 13849-1	Safety referring to parts of control systems
EN 60204-1	Electrical equipment of machines
EN 999 is being worked over => EN 13855	Safety clearance, Alignment of protection devices at approaching speeds
EN 294	Safety clearance, danger areas, upper extremities
EN 349	Minimum distance, squeezing of body parts
EN ISO 10218-1 substituted ISO 10218 (1992-01-15) and DIN EN 775	Regarding to the „naked robot“ Similar to the known EN 775 Adaption to the new A-standard (EN ISO 12100, EN ISO 13849) Safety requirements were made for collaborating (assisting and cooperating(=synchronized)) robots Defines the technical requirements for the assisting operation
EN ISO 10218-2 in progress	Will define the requirements of the robot cell (missing in EN 775) Many changes are to be expected. The standard will probably be an ISO Standard

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