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Sign inCollaborative robots
Robot systems to evaluate for flexible workcells and human–robot workflows.
Define your requirements
- Request an application-specific risk assessment and safeguarding plan.
Define how people interact with the complete cell
Describe where an operator approaches the cell, what they carry and when they enter the workspace. The robot, tool, part and surrounding equipment must be considered together. The label collaborative is not a substitute for an application risk assessment.
Questions to resolve before shortlisting
- Which tasks require a person to be near the robot while it moves?
- Could the gripper or workpiece create a pinch, cut or trapping hazard?
- What happens during teaching, fault recovery and tool changes?
- Which operating conditions and safeguarding measures will the integrator validate?
What to send with your sourcing brief
Provide the intended operator workflow and site layout. Ask a competent integrator to document the application assessment and demonstrate the agreed operating modes.
Platform procurement checklist. Confirm the equipment and integration requirements with the supplier.
Buyer decision notes
Select the complete human–robot workflow
A collaborative robot proposal must explain how people, the moving robot, the tool and the workpiece interact. Begin with the jobs performed by the operator, including replenishment and fault recovery. Selecting a robot with a collaborative label is only one part of reviewing the application; the tool and surrounding equipment can introduce their own hazards.
Prepared by RobotLineup Editorial · Analysis updated . Platform analysis, not an independent equipment test.
Compare proposals on the same basis
Ask each bidder to answer these items against the same drawings, parts and operating sequence. An unanswered item is a comparison gap, not a passed requirement.
| Decision | Evidence to request | Avoid this assumption |
|---|---|---|
| Operator interaction | A sequence showing where people stand and when they enter or leave the work area. | A collaborative label makes every surrounding task safe. |
| Tool and part | Geometry of gripping surfaces, exposed edges and possible trapping points. | Robot contact behaviour automatically addresses the workpiece. |
| Operating modes | The proposed conditions for production, teaching, maintenance and stopped-cycle recovery. | A production demonstration covers all other modes. |
| Throughput conditions | A measured cycle tied to the proposed protective measures and operator interaction. | An unrestricted catalog motion rate is the expected cell throughput. |
Compare access and throughput together
Ask the integrator to describe the intended application assessment and how each protective measure changes the workflow. Compare proposals at those stated conditions. If access restrictions or operating limits are revised to satisfy an assessment, the production timing and loading procedure also need another review.
Identify the person responsible for evaluating the complete installation. The assessment needs the actual tool, workpiece and adjacent machinery, rather than a robot datasheet in isolation. Platform notes can organise the questions but cannot approve a cell or determine safe operating settings.
Worked sourcing brief
Illustrative procurement exercise. Assumptions below are invented for explanation; this is not a customer case, trial result or quotation.
Assume an operator replenishes a tray while a robot transfers parts to a press. The robot selection does not answer how access to the press or a sharp component is managed. Map the replenishment route and the interaction with the press, then request an application assessment and a representative timing demonstration under the proposed conditions. No safe separation distance or force limit is established by this exercise.
What to record before acceptance
Agree the test method, responsibilities and pass conditions before ordering. The items below are records to request, not a completed validation.
- Record the assessed configuration and the responsibilities for the robot, press, tooling and access arrangement.
- Request validation records for the agreed operating modes from the competent integrator.
- Keep training, recovery and maintenance instructions with the delivered cell documentation.
Common buyer questions
Can a cobot always run without guarding?
Do not assume this. The application assessment determines the measures needed for the complete installation.
Does a platform listing certify a collaborative application?
No. A directory description is not a site-specific assessment, safety validation or supplier certification.