As technology evolves , the demarcation line between industrial and collaborative robotic applications also changes .
human operators . Because of this , the use of a conventional robot is likely to be the right choice for these applications .
In other situations humans may need to infrequently enter a robot ’ s workspace to briefly interact with the application or there could be a limited area of interaction . These systems will run as fast as possible under normal operation and only slow down when there is a risk of collision . Again this would suggest that a conventional industrial robot would be right for this application due to its ability to operate at high speeds in normal safe operating conditions .
As suggested , the most effective way to make such applications fast , safe and reliable would be to utilise standard industrial robots operating in a cooperative way , coupled with additional safety features such as physical guards or safety light curtains and scanners .
More precisely , businesses can implement high-speed , high-payload industrial robots , such as the MELFA RV articulated arm robot , equipped with a MELFA SafePlus safety system from Mitsubishi Electric . This means humans and robots can work safely and in harmony .
Utilising the speed of an industrial robot within a cooperative environment requires additional safety provisions , such as systems that allow automated speed control when operators approach the robot working area .
INDUSTRIAL OR COLLABORATIVE ROBOT ? Designed to work alongside humans collaborative robots or ‘ cobots ’, can provide a safe solution . However , there are some obvious caveats .
The term collaborative , as specified by ISO / TS 15066:2016 , actually refers to systems or applications where automatically operated robots share the same workspace with humans . This means that robots for collaborative applications , just like any other type of robot , still require a risk assessment .
There are different industrial operations whose risk assessment would support the use of cobots , for example , if the robot is required to work alongside the human as part of the assembly process to pass objects to operators . Here the risk of a collision between the two is high and so this application would fall into the category of power and force limiting . Features such as safe torque range to detect the impact and prevent injury are needed .
There are situations where the use of robots would require additional safety measures . For example , if potentially harmful chemicals , sharp edges or extremely hot items need to be handled , the robot would need to be enclosed by physical safety perimeter guards to protect
MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE As technology evolves , the demarcation line between industrial and collaborative robotic applications also changes . The most important consideration when implementing a robotic system is to ensure the system meets the needs of the specific application and delivers against the user requirement specification . The system must achieve both the throughput required and also operate in a safe environment for operators in line with the risk assessment for the application .
The inclusion of collaborative robots has widened the choice and the type of applications that robotics can now be used for . It is not a question of which is best , industrial or collaborative robotics but which is best for the application . With its wealth of experience and proven track record , the robotics team at Mitsubishi Electric helps businesses find the right solution .
For further information , please visit gb3a . mitsubishielectric . com
Issue 51 PECM 45