The automation of production processes with the help of industrial robots has had a lasting impact on the manufacturing landscape in the past. In the future, too, the optimal degree of automation for many production processes will be a middle way between full automation and manual labor, which brings the aspect of occupational safety of this human-robot collaboration (HRC) into focus. The concept of separating protective fences requires an increased amount of space and thus has a disadvantageous effect on the profitability of this manufacturing option.

In human-robot collaboration (HRC) without separating protective devices, however, collisions between humans and robots cannot be ruled out. The HRC area therefore has special requirements for collision prevention and detection. Torque monitoring and force limitation must achieve a level of protection similar to that provided by alternative protective fences.
The permissible limit values according to ISO / TS 15066 for force and pressure (or according to the specifications of the Robotic Industries Association of the American National Standards Institute RIA TR R15.806-2018) ensure the safe operation of HRC workstations and must be observed.

For this purpose, a force-pressure measurement and its evaluation must be proven that the required limit values are observed.

• Force measurement
• Pressure measurement