1. Desktop review and site survey.
An initial review can often establish the likely project route from photographs, a layout and a description of the cell. A site survey then captures the machine boundary, robot envelope, tooling, product flow, access tasks, operating modes, stopping behaviour, surrounding walkways and site constraints.
We identify routine operation as well as setting, teach, cleaning, recovery, jam clearance, planned maintenance and foreseeable non-routine intervention.
2. Risk and responsibility review.
The safeguarding concept needs a clear understanding of the hazards and who is responsible for each machine and interface. Robot, tooling, conveyors, process equipment, fixtures, access gates and existing control systems may be supplied by different parties. We define the agreed scope and the information needed from others.
3. Safeguarding concept and detailed design.
We develop the physical boundary, safe distances, panel types, access points, interlocks, protective devices, emergency stops, reset stations and control interfaces around the machine and the task. Maintainability, alignment, cleaning, visibility and installation access are considered during design.
4. Manufacture and preparation.
Panels, posts, doors, infill sections and mounting hardware are manufactured to the agreed design and finish. Purchased safety devices and control components are coordinated with the mechanical assemblies. Installation planning covers access, shutdown windows, lifting, floor fixing and interfaces with other contractors.
5. Installation and integration.
Guarding is installed, aligned and fixed to the approved arrangement. Interlocks, guard locking, scanners, light curtains, emergency stops and reset controls are installed where included. Safety-control changes and robot or machine interfaces are implemented within the agreed responsibility boundary.
6. Commissioning, functional checks and handover.
The installed system is checked against the design intent. Tests can cover gate opening, guard release, protected-field interruption, emergency stop, mode behaviour, fault response, reset, restart and prevention of unexpected movement. The agreed drawings, device information, configuration backups and test records are then handed over.