Brooks Automation 3. Collaborative Robot Safety
Part Number: PF40-DI-00010 Rev. A Robot Workcell Design
Note especially that even a safe robot, when equipped with a tool that renders it dangerous, should
be protected from contact with an operator. For example, a robot which can only apply 60 Newtons
of force could plunge a sharp needle through a person’s hand.
Note that designing a robot workcell can be compared to driving a car. When approaching obstacles
(or parking), slow down.
Safety Glasses. It is required that operators who will move inside the work volume of any robot
wear safety glasses at all times, both to prevent any poking injury to the eyes, and also because the
machine is often moving around liquids which may be hazardous to the eyes.
Workcell Layout. The PF400 is designed so that the gripper is the lowest point on the robot and
cannot descend all the way to the mounting surface (table). Because of this feature, the workcell
designer typically does not need to worry about the outer link or inner link of the robot trapping an
operator’s appendage. The workcell designer will be programming the robot to move 80 to 500
gram workpieces from storage into expensive instruments and back to storage. When moving in
and out of storage racks, the robot may make large motions at higher speeds in the Z direction
outside the storage rack. As long as the workcell designer leaves 50 mm or so between the table
and the lowest access point on the storage rack, the robot will never pin an operator’s hand to the
table at a high speed. When the robot is moving horizontally in and out of the storage racks the
maximum forces are well below any injury threshold.
See Appendix F: Example Performance Level Evaluation for an example PLr evaluation for an
example PF400 workcell.
Copyright © 2023, Brooks Automation
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