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Item offers secure cobot solutions that can be customized. © Item

Cobots are currently all the hype in automation. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), 55,000 models were sold worldwide last year, which corresponds to growth of 31%. Cobots now account for 10% of robots sold globally. And they also show where the journey in robotics is heading. Some cobots already have all the technologies of the future on board, including artificial intelligence, making them easier to implement. They prove that the balancing act between high-tech and simple operation is possible and that even employees without specialist knowledge can benefit from AI. Hannes Fröhlich, Product Manager for Robotics at Item Industrietechnik in Solingen, also sees the Cobot as an ideal introduction to automation: "Manufacturers are focusing on plug-and-play and simple handling. The user doesn't need to be a robotics expert to get to grips with the technology." The models can also be used flexibly at different points in the production line. "For example, if increased quantities need to be implemented, the user can add one or more cobots instead of expanding the assembly line with another station with an industrial robot," says Fröhlich.

Load test ensures safety against tipping

When an employee approaches the sensor, it sends a signal to the controller and the cobot switches to collaborative mode. © Item

The design with a cobot literally stands or falls with the tipping safety. In addition to the installation area and the center of gravity properties of the overall solution, the weight of the robot, the payload, the travel speed and the reach are decisive for a secure stand. Item has worked intensively on this complex topic. A calculation aid can be downloaded from the website, which the customer can use to check their system with the given figures. "The customer doesn't need a degree in mechanical engineering to make the calculation; the basics of classical mechanics are sufficient," emphasizes Hannes Fröhlich. "However, if the customer chooses to use a sample solution, they can also hand over the test to us."

Item considers the extreme case of tipping safety. The robot moves at maximum speed and maximum payload with an outstretched arm, and at the same time the employee presses the emergency stop button at the critical point. If the design can withstand the forces that occur during this test, then nothing can happen even in industrial use under the heaviest loads.

Enclosure enables higher travel speed

If the cobot is standing freely on a structure and no other protective measures such as safety sensors are used, it may only move at the so-called collaborative speed, which is 0.25 m/s, for safety reasons. However, this is only an orientation value. Depending on the travel height and the workpiece hanging on the gripper, further safety measures must be taken. To ensure an efficient process nevertheless, the solution can be supplemented with an area sensor, for example, which is attached to the structure near the floor. If an employee approaches the cobot, the sensor sends a signal to the controller in good time and the cobot switches to collaborative mode.

Mobile robot islands for cobots are equipped with a central cable guide. © Item

Those who do not want to do without speed are well served with a partial or complete enclosure of the cobot. This variant is implemented in some sample solutions, but can also be retrofitted if required. Behind the large, impact-resistant panes of the enclosure, the cobot can move at a constant speed. The employee is optimally protected from the robot and still has a good view of the process. Additional operating elements are simply snapped into the integrated cable duct. If required, all cables run safely and securely within the profile frames. Special connection sets serve as cable passages between the vertical and horizontal profiles and ensure a kink-free transition of the cables.

The process determines when an enclosure makes sense. "If the cobot is working collaboratively all the time, I don't necessarily need an enclosure," says Hannes Fröhlich. "This also applies if the employee works together with the machine and, for example, regularly restocks material and has to constantly open and close the door to do so."

The customer should feel safe

There are many aspects to consider when planning a solution. This is why Item provides a guideline that customers can use as a guide. This allows potential risks to be identified in advance and suitable protective measures to be taken. "We don't just want the customer to end up with a secure solution that suits them," emphasizes the product manager. "They should also be sure that they are on the right track to drive automation in their company."

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