What it takes to be a game changer

What it takes to be a game changer.

Universal robots developed the UR5, the first lightweight robot to go to market, and translated it into a successful business model. Looking back through history, fundamental changes in the marketplace have repeatedly tested the limits of the existing regulatory context.

When the first automobiles began traveling almost at walking pace along roads that had not yet been developed as they are today, britain introduced the red flag act, requiring a man bearing a red flag to walk in front of every such vehicle to ensure that no passers-by might be injured by this marvelous but dangerous new development in the history of mobility. Clearly, however, it was neither practical nor feasible on a large scale to deploy such red-flag bearers. And if no one had dared to dispense with them, the automobile would quite possibly never have progressed beyond the status of a rich man’s toy – despite the manifest need for mobility.

UR5 and UR10 are game changers
We are now witnessing similar developments on the market for industrial robots. The ur5 and ur10 robot arms are game changers. Right now, they are redrawing the robot landscape that has existed hitherto. Both the market’s requirements and economic demand show us that robots have to be flexible and must be able to operate at close quarters with human employees. And this is precisely the point at which we are reaching the boundaries of existing norms and regulations. Why? Simply because there is no clear definition of what a “safe robot” is. The question is as difficult to answer as the one about automobiles: is it only safe if you have a man with a red flag walking in front of it? Is it safe if it is fitted with safety belts, airbags, lane keeping assist systems and other such features? Though much has been done to improve car safety over the years, large numbers of serious and less serious accidents happen on our roads year in, year out. Yet people around the globe still settle behind the wheel of their car every day, as a matter of course.

Obviously, this analogy must not keep us from pressing ahead with a discussion that is still in its early days: it is important that we find out what a safe robot is and what factors we manufacturers must take account of when developing our products to keep the risk of accidents to an absolute minimum.

UR participate in developing new standards

we at universal robots take this discussion very seriously.
If our lightweight robots are to be deployed without extra safety equipment, a prior risk assessment is absolutely imperative. The ur5 and ur10 models are generally suitable for operation without a safety guard as they are always deployed in what is known as a collaborative mode. Pursuant to paragraph 5.10.5. Of en iso 10218-1:2011, this is achieved by means of a force limited function. A test conducted in 2010 by the danish technological institute (dti) – one of the official organizations listed in directive 2006/42/ec on machinery – confirms that, due to permanent application of a force limited function, the robot stops immediately whenever external forces of between 60 and 87 newtons are applied to it. This result is well within the 150 newton limit prescribed by the en iso 10218-1:2006 standard, which was valid at the time but has since been replaced by en iso 10218-1:2011. The change has had no impact whatsoever on the safety of the robot arm, however, as the current valid norm states that force and load must align with the aforementioned risk assessment for the robot application.

A gulf is evidently emerging between norm and reality: iso/tc 184/sc 2/wg 3, the committee under iso responsible for developing the new ts 15066 for collaborative robots, is aware of this and is working hard to clarify the applicable rules. Even within this body, however, it is obvious that the discussion is a very fraught one. Yet a new ruling is urgently needed, as existing norms no longer line up with the current status of automation, let alone future developments. We participate in the work of this committee because we believe that the market needs collaborative lightweight robots, but that their deployment also requires appropriate regulation.

Tremendous advancements in industrial processes
Combined with thinking and knowledgeable individuals collaborative robots create tremendous advancements in industrial processes. For example, our customers have invested in our products because they:

1. Can be programmed by operators adding tremendous flexibility to meet human problem solving needs
2. Give sme manufactures the opportunity to grow in measured steps so they can maintain competitiveness in a global landscape without taking on undo risk; and,
3. More generally, reduce or in most cases eliminate safety guarding and thus allow for more human-robot interactions and many more possibilities to improve productivity, quality and safety.

Human-robot interactions can combine the ability to perform tasks requiring extreme repeatability and accuracy with the ability to think and problem solve. At universal robots we strive to make new robotic applications possible, but you must promise to be the thinking member of the team when it comes to safety. Through technology and common sense industrial automation will see new advances in the near future.