Collaborative robots, also known as cobots, are designed to work alongside humans within a shared workspace. Unlike traditional industrial robots that operate behind fences for safety, cobots are engineered to detect nearby humans and adapt their motions accordingly to ensure safe collaboration. Some of the key capabilities that differentiate cobots from other robots include:
- Force Limiting — Cobots incorporate force sensors and control systems that can detect unwanted contact and quickly brake or modify motions to reduce risks of injuries. Their movements are designed to yield safely if contact with a human occurs.
- Programmable Safety Distances — Engineers can program zones around cobots where contact with humans is prohibited. If a person enters this exclusion zone, the cobot will halt operation or slow down to safe speeds.
- Integrated Safeguards — Traditional safety features like barriers, light curtains, and E-Stop buttons are integrated directly into the cobot’s design and control system for easy monitoring of the human-robot interaction space.
- User Guidance — Onboard cameras, sensors, and displays provide operators visual feedback on the cobot’s activities, helping guide safe interaction and collaboration.
- Flexible Deployment — Collaborative Robots are portable and can be conveniently moved between workcells or reprogrammed for new collaborative tasks with minimal reconfiguration needed.
Widespread Applications of Collaborative Robots
As cobots become more affordable and user-friendly, their deployment is growing across many industries:
- Assembly and Packaging — Working alongside humans, cobots can perform repetitive assembly, quality control checks, and product packaging. Their vision systems help with part insertion, placement verification, and seal integrity tests.
- Machine Tending — Cobots tend CNC machines, injection molding presses and other automated equipment by loading/unloading parts, making setup adjustments, and performing minor repairs to keep production running.
- Order Fulfillment — In warehouses, collaborative lift items, move pallets and boxes, pick products from shelves to fulfill customer orders, and more — all without safety fences.
- Surface Treatment — Finishing tasks like polishing, deburring, brushing, grinding and spray painting are well-suited for cobots providing a consistent treatment directly on the production line.
- In-Plant Logistics — Material handling duties within facilities are increasingly managed by cobots for activities like transporting components between work cells, quality control areas and storage locations.
Ensuring Safe Collaborative Robot Deployment
While cobots are designed to be inherently safer robots through their control strategies and sensors, certain measures should still be taken to guarantee their collaborative work environments are properly safeguarded:
- Document Workflows — Manufacturers must outline all expected human-robot interactions, define restricted zones, and detail standard operating procedures.
- Conduct Risk Assessments — A thorough hazard and risk analysis helps uncover potential points of contact and recommends appropriate risk reduction controls.
- Select Certified Cobots — Choosing collaborative that have completed respected third-party safety certification testing programs provides assurance of their safety functionality.
- Provide Training — Workers must receive role-specific instruction on how to interact safely with each cobot and respond appropriately to automatedsafety stops or slowdowns.
- Maintain Controls — Safety features like light curtains, speed and separation monitoring need routine inspection, maintenance and calibration testing to ensure continuous protection.
- Monitor Operations — Floor supervisors are tasked with overseeing human-robot collaboration, responding to issues and enforcing safety compliance.
with diligent implementation of controls and operational discipline, manufacturers can take full advantage of the productivity benefits of collaborative while keeping human operators safe every step of the way. When deployed and supervised properly, cobots present a low risk for accidents compared to traditional industrial machinery. Their collaborative capabilities promise to transform many aspects of manufacturing for decades to come.
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