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Removing the safety barriers from robots

At the recent Automatica exhibition in Munich, ABB Robotics presented a new concept in robot safety.

The SafeMove concept comes about as a result of the continuing evolution of safety standards for robot and automation systems. Today, traditional safety systems require more guarding, more emergency stops and more equipment to separate the operator from the robot. These concepts are restrictive expensive and often inefficient.

The updated standard ISO 10218, Parts 1 and 2 which will be released soon, address the integration of robots in an automation system. The new standards will allow a significant evolution of robot products and the way they are installed. A major advance will enable certified software solutions for safety functions to be used where previously only hardware could be applied.

The SafeMove concept will take advantage of these changes by offering new safety functionality based around dedicated electronics, negating the need for position switches and mechanical guards around the robots. SafeMove is able to monitor a real-time software model of the robot. It continually compares the real robot movements to that model to enable the robot to take avoidance actions in the event of something being placed into its path.

According to David Marshall of ABB, early adopters for this technology are likely to be the automotive industry and automotive part markers in Germany and the US, but he expects the technology to become more mainstream, throughout manufacturing industry within the next few years.