The most relevant functional safety standards for industrial robots, collaborative robots and mobile robots

For a long time, I have used the following diagram to represent the safety standards that I consider to be most relevant for robots and collaboration (robots with features suitable for collaborative applications, such as applications based on PFL power and force limiting).

Figure 1 - Core set of standards for stationary and collaborative robots

Many of these standards are also relevant to mobots (mobile robots), and instead of ISO 08-10218, if you put ISO 10218-1 and ANSI R3691.4 in the middle with ISO 15, then that number could be repurposed for mobots. Depending on what you intend to emphasize, perhaps you would reconfigure the mobile robot diagram as shown below.

Figure 2 - This different view of the standards highlights the most relevant standards for 3D TOF

But those two graphics still don’t show all the relevant standards. This is true even if we ignore agricultural robots, human-assistance robots, medical robots, and anything more likely to be found in a restaurant than on a factory floor. Here are some others that come to mind and why.

IEC 62443 – for safety of robots. I noticed that the recent IEC 62443-1-5 that has been circulating discusses profiles, so perhaps we could have a profile for robots. I could have included more industrial cybersecurity standards, but many of them ultimately point to IEC 62443, so I restrained myself.

IEC 62280/EN 50159 – as an alternative to networking according to IEC 61784-3

ISO TR 5469-1 – if you plan to use it as part of your robot safety argument

IEC 60825-1 – If your ESPE emits laser light

IEC 61800-5-2 – Applies to variable speed drives that may be used in robots, even though all references (which may not be all) have been removed from the proposed revision to ISO 3 to 10218.

IEC 61800-5-3 – If your robot is used for safety purposes

IEC 60204 – For stop categories if nothing else. Also includes requirements related to wireless controls.

ISO DTR 20218-1 – Functional safety for end effectors including grippers

ISO TR 20218-2 – Safety design of manual unloading stations

IEC 61131-6 - This is the standard if you are using a PLC to control a robot

ISO 12100 – This is the basic safety standard

ISO 11161-2 – Safety requirements for IMS (Integrated Manufacturing Systems aka Robotic Cells)

ISO 13850 – Emergency stop function

ISO 13482 – Safety requirements for personal care robots

Machinery Directive – if you wish to sell your robot in Europe, although robots are generally only considered partially completed machines

If someone comes up with a secure system that can identify and respond to different operators, you could even include things like GDPR (General Data Privacy Regulation) from the EU, especially given that consent is not an acceptable legal basis in an employer-employee relationship.

Review editor: Guo Ting