SAFETY and TRAINING

Features of the safety of Robotics:

1. Justification of Robots
• One of the fundamental reasons for using robots is to
remove operators from potentially hazardous work
environments.
• The problem of removing or reducing hazards provides
one important justification for industrial robot
applications.
Example of Hazards
• Heat
• Noise
• Fumes
• Physical danger (potential injuries or even loss of
limbs)
• Radiation
• Toxic atmosphere
Justifications of Industrial
Robotics Applications
• Welding
• Forging
• Spray painting
• Die casting
Features of the safety of Robotics:
2. Potential Hazards to humans posed by the Robot itself
• The use of robot present new sets of possible dangers to
human worker for which precautions must be taken.
• In considering the potential hazards, three occasion are
identified as to when humans are close enough to the machine
to be exposed:
Three Occasions
• During programming of the robot
• During operation of the robot cell when humans
works in the cell
• During maintenance of the robot
Risks encountered during occasions

• Physical injury from collision between the human and

robot
• Electrical shock
• Objects (parts or tools) dropped from the robot gripper
• Loose power cables or hydraulic lines on the floor
Straightforward Safety Measures
• Proper grounding of electrical cable to prevent shocks
• Raised floor platforms to cover power cables and
hydraulics lines
• Operator safety is improved by requiring certain
common sense procedures to be followed
Examples
• When robot is being programmed, the speed of
the arm should be set at low level during teaching
and testing of the program
• When maintenance personnel are servicing the
robot, the power to the machine should be turn
off under normal circumstances
Workplace Design Considerations for
Safety
• Certain safety features can be designed into the robot
workcell
These includes the following:
1. Physical barriers to limit intrusion into the cell
2. Emergency stop buttons to halt the cell operations
3. Laying out the equipment in the cell for maximum safety
Two Approaches to implement
Physical Barriers
1. Periphery of the robot cell must be defined to be outside
the farthest reach of the robot in all directions with end
effectors attached to the wrist.
• The workcell also include any equipment in the cell which
operates the robot
• Barrier should not be designed only for the programmed
work cycle envelope
• Barriers are used to prevent human intruders from entering
the vicinity of the robot while in operation
Example Barrier design:
• A fence with a gate for access to the workcell
• Gate is equipped with an interlock device so that
work cycle is interrupted when gate is open.
Two Approaches to implement
Physical Barriers
2. Physical Barrier is a steel plate in the floor at the limits of
the programmed motion cycle
Feature to have this type of barrier unsuitable:
• If the robot arm crashes into the steel post at high speed,
it can be destroyed or damaged.
• It does not prevent intruders from entering the robot cell
• A human could be pinned between the robot arm and the
post
Example workcell configuration:
Safety Sensors and Safety Monitoring

• Involves the use of sensors to indicate conditions or

events that are unsafe or potentially unsafe.
• Monitoring include not only the protection of humans
but also the protection of the equipment in the cell.
Three level of safety sensor systems in
Robotics by National Bureau of Standards
Level 1: Perimeter penetration detection
• Intended to detect an intruder has crossed the perimeter
boundary of the workcell without regard to the location of the
intruder
Level 2: Intruder detection inside the workcell
• Intended to detect the presence of an intruder in the region
between the workcell boundary and the limit of the robot work
volume
Level 3: Intruder detection in the immediate vicinity of the robot
• Intended to detect intruder inside the work volume of the robot
Illustration of the three levels:
Two common implementation of Robot
Safety Sensing System

1. Pressure sensitive floor mats – can be used for

either level 1 or level 2 sensing systems
2. Light curtains – can be used of level1 sensing
systems
• Proximity sensors can be used as level 3 sensors.
Safety monitoring schemes that can be
followed by the workcell controller:
1. Complete shutdown of the robot upon detection of an
intruder
2. Activation of warning alarms
3. Reduction in the speed on the robot to a safe level
4. Directing the robot to move its arm away from the
intruder to avoid Collison
5. Directing the robot to perform tasks in another region of
the workcell away from the intruder
Other Safety Measures
• Emergency stop buttons or panic button are usually
located on both the main control panel and the robot
teach pendant
• Emergency stop or panic button is designed to be easily
identifiable in case of emergency situation
• It should be capable of stopping not only the robot itself
but other moving equipment in the cell
Training
• Is an important factor in the successful
implementation of Robotics technology
• It will impact many different areas of a company’s
operations.
• It must include the management, engineering
staff, and operating and maintenance personnel.
Five categories of robotics
training:
1. Awareness
2. Justification
3. Application
4. Operations and Maintenance
5. Safety
Awareness
• Training provides a survey of robotics including
technology, applications, economics, and social
implications
• Explore the future trends and research developments
taking place in robotics
• Typically presented to managers, and engineers to
encourage the implementation of robotics and
opportunities for applying technology
• Training programs for production and maintenance
personnel are designed to dismiss the doubts or mystery
surrounding about robots
Justification
• Intended for engineers and managers who are
responsible for implementing robot projects in the
company
• Deals with economic issues and the unique
problems that arise in the justification of robots
• To examine benefits and to incorporate
consideration in justification procedures
Application
• Designed for technical people (engineers,
engineering managers, production managers,
foremen who must select the applications and
plan the installations.
• Include technical areas such as basic technology,
robot programming, and application engineering
issues
Operations and Maintenance
• Provide for production and maintenance personnel
• To give detailed technical skills and knowledge to use and
service the machine
Training Course includes the following:
 Programming
 Operations
 Maintenance
 Repair of the robot
Safety
• Give all personnel who are involved with robots I
the plant an awareness of the potential dangers
associated with the technology
• Production supervision, engineers, operating
personnel, and maintenance staff must have this
training