ISO 10218-1, Robotics - Safety requirements – Part 1: Industrial robots (revision of ISO 10218-1:2011)

Since 2011, industrial robots have undergone many enhancements and improvements due to market demand and a broadening of uses.  In particular, industrial robots increasingly have many more safety functions than even mentioned in the 2011 edition.  These enhancements and improvements provide improved ease of use – particularly for small and medium enterprises that might have no previous robot experience.  Another aspect of the enhancements are capabilities for enabling collaborative robot applications (see ISO 10218-2 revision).

 This standard provides requirements for industrial robots, as such it is used by manufacturers of industrial robots although it could be of interest to others. The revision of ISO 10218-1:2011 started in 2017 with the new edition expected to be completed at the end of 2022.

  • Changes between the 2011 edition and the ongoing revision (as of the FDIS) are:
  • Retain harmonization status with participating member countries, including the Machinery Directive in Europe.
  • Move contents between the Part 1 and the Part 2 to make sure content is in the correct Part of the standard.
  • Updated definitions, most notably “safeguarded space” and “industrial environment”.
  • Added requirements about
    • mechanical strength,
    • stability,
    • materials,
    • packaging, lifting, transport and handling,
    • hazardous substances,
    • temperatures and risks of fires,
    • special equipment,
    • position holding,
    • braking systems,
    • auxiliary axes,
    • power loss or change,
    • cybersecurity,
    • classification of robots (Class I having low energy transfer capability),
    • test methodology for Class I robots,
    • unexpected start,
    • interlocking devices,
    • status indication and warning devices,
    • operational modes,
    • portable control stations capable of initiating motion or other hazardous situations,
    • direct and external control,
    • means of initiating automatic operation,
    • single point of control,
    • start and restart interlocking,
    • resetting internal robot safety functions,
    • normal stop,
    • speed limit monitoring,
    • monitored standstill,
    • stopping time limiting,
    • stopping distance limiting,
    • communications,
    • information for use.
  • Collaborative:
    • Greater details about requirements if the robot includes any of the following capabilities: hand guided controls (HGC), speed and separation monitoring (SSM), and power and force limiting (PFL).
    • Removed the following terms:
      • “collaborative robot”,
      • “collaborative operation”,
      • “safety-rated monitored stop” (this concept is now a safety function called “monitored standstill” which happens after a Stop Category 2 (IEC 60204-1 happens).
    • Collaborative describes a robot application (see Part 2), collaborative is not a mode and collaborative is not a robot.
    • Optional robot capabilities to enable collaborative applications according to Part 2 are specified, e.g. the requirements and safety functions for HGC (Hand-Guided Controls), SSM (Speed and Separation Monitoring) and PFL (Power and Force Limiting).
    • Degree of collaboration or cooperation is not relevant and therefore not presented.
  • Functional safety changes include:
    • PLd Category 3 or SIL2 HFT=1 or PFHD less than 4.43 x 10-7.
    • Requiring compliance with Annex C for safety functions.
      • Approximately 38 safety functions are listed.
      • Not all safety functions are required to meet PLd or SIL2 requirements
      • Not all safety functions are mandatory.
    • Clarity about safety functions and the safety functions characteristics
    • Information for use requires providing extensive functional safety information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Pictures by permission from ABB, Universal Robots, Yaskawa)