The second installment of the safety standard for industrial mobile robots provides guidance on safe integration practices for industrial settings.
The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) has released the newest version of R15.08-2, the American National Standard for Industrial Mobile Robots (IMRs) – Safety Requirements – Part 2: Requirements for IMR system(s) and IMR application(s).
The updated standard specifies requirements for system integrators, including integrating, configuring, and customizing an IMR or fleet of IMRs into an industrial site.
“With the rapid development of mobile robot capabilities, it’s more important than ever for the safety of human workers to have common safety requirements and expectations for IMR systems and system integrations,” said Carole Franklin, director of robotic standards development at A3. “The R15.08 Part 2 is much-needed guidance toward ensuring safe integration practices for IMRs and will be a solid foundation for future work in this area.”
An anticipated companion to R15.08 Part 1, which was published in late 2020, R15.08-2 provides a common set of requirements for IMRs, while being flexible enough to permit companies to develop their own unique solutions.
The R15.08-2 standard covers a lot of ground, including:
· Describes different types of IMRs and aspects of IMR systems
· Covers the adaptations necessary for the application and the facility in which the IMR(s) will be used
· Describes safety requirements when IMRs interact with workstations, charging stations, and other equipment
· Explains safety considerations regarding the deployed operating environment
“A paradigm shift has occurred in recent years with the continued advancement of mobile robots in the workplace, and this shift demanded safety requirements beyond what is offered in other robot safety standards,” Franklin said. “With Part 2 of the R15.08 standard, system integrators now have specific requirements that will help them ensure they’re deploying the safest mobile robot systems available in their customers’ facilities.”
Jeff Pratt, chair of the R15.08 committee and senior corporate EHS engineer at Crown Equipment, introduced the R15.08 family of standards for industrial mobile robot safety on October 9, 2023, at the International Robot Safety Conference.
With the publication of the R15.08-2, A3’s R15.08 committee will work towards R15.08 Part 3, which will provide safety requirements for users of IMR systems and IMR applications. This could include developing technical reports to address emerging topics such as mobile robot technology advances. Such topics will likely include multi-sensor fusion, additional stability testing, stability validation and additional dynamic stability testing.
Purchase the new standard, which is accredited by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI), can be purchased online today at AUTOMATE.ORG/buystandards or at the International Robot Safety Conference through October 11, 2023 in Pittsburgh.
