Robot Safety

This section contains basic information on safety risks to be followed when performing service work on the robots and their controllers. The information contained in this manual is a supplement to and not a replacement of the safety information provided in FANUC robot documentation provided with the robot equipment.

Any person who deals with the maintenance of the manipulator must also thoroughly read and follow all safety information contained in this manual and in FANUC robot and controller documentation provided. See the Appendix for a list of additional documentation.

Safe Design

Grippers / end effectors are designed so that they retain work pieces in the event of a power failure or a disturbance to the controller.

Unauthorized modifications of the originally delivered manipulator are prohibited. Without the consent of Valiant, it is forbidden to attach additional parts through welding, riveting, or drilling of new holes into the castings. The strength could be affected.

Safety Risks During Service Work on the Robot

• Only persons who know the robot and are trained in the operation and handling of the robot are allowed to maintain the robot.
• When performing any maintenance or repairs on the robot and controller, always make sure that the power to the controller is locked out. Refer to the ECPL placards posted on the equipment for lockout procedures.
• The axes are affected by the force of gravity when the brakes are released. In addition to the risk of being hit by moving manipulator parts, there is a risk of being crushed by the arm.
• Energy stored in the manipulator for the purpose of counterbalancing certain axes may be released if the manipulator, or parts thereof, are dismantled.
• When dismantling / assembling mechanical units, watch out for falling objects.
• Be aware of stored heat energy in the controller.
• Never use the robot as a ladder, which means, do not climb on the robot motors or other parts during service work. There is a serious risk of slipping because of the elevated temperature of the motors and oil spills that can occur on the robot.

Staying Safe While Teaching or Manually Operating the Robot

All personnel who must teach the robot or otherwise manually operate the robot must observe the following rules:

• Never wear watches, rings, neckties, scarves, or loose clothing that could get caught in moving machinery.
• Know the working area of the robot. The work envelope is the area defined by the maximum motion range of the robot. These include tooling attached to the wrist flange that extends this range.
• Know the possible pinch points created by the movement of the robot.
• Before teaching, visually inspect the robot and work envelope to make sure that no potentially hazardous conditions exist.
• The area near the robot must be clean and free of oil, water, or debris. Immediately report unsafe working conditions to the supervisor or safety department.
• FANUC Robotics recommends that no one enter the work envelope of a robot that is on, except for robot teaching operations. However, if you must enter the work envelope, be sure all safeguards are in place, check the teach pendant DEADMAN switch for proper operation, and place the robot in teach mode. Take the teach pendant with you, turn it on, and be prepared to release the DEADMAN switch.
• Only the person with the teach pendant should be in the work envelope.

Never bypass, strap, or otherwise deactivate a safety device, such as a limit switch, for any operational convenience. Deactivating a safety device is known to have resulted in severe injury and death.

• Know the path that can be used to escape from a moving robot; make sure the escape path is never blocked.
• Isolate the robot from all remote-control signals that can cause motion while data is being taught.
• Test any program being run for the first time in the following manner:

Stay outside the robot work envelope whenever a program is being run. Failure to do so can result in injury.

• Using a low motion speed, single step the program for at least one full cycle.
• Using a low motion speed, test run the program continuously for at least one full cycle.
• Using the programmed speed, test run the program continuously for at least one full cycle.
• Make sure all personnel are outside the work envelope before running production.

Robot Safety During Automatic Operation

All personnel who operate the robot during production to observe the following rules:

• Make sure all safety provisions are present and active.
• Know the entire workcell area. The workcell includes the robot and its work envelope, plus the area occupied by all external devices and other equipment with which the robot interacts.
• Understand the complete task the robot is programmed to perform before initiating automatic operation.
• Make sure all personnel are outside the work envelope before operating the robot.
• Never enter or allow others to enter the work envelope during automatic operation of the robot.
• Know the location and status of all switches, sensors, and control signals that could cause the robot to move.
• Know where the EMERGENCY STOP buttons are located on both the robot control and external control devices. Be prepared to press these buttons in an emergency.
• Never assume that a program is complete if the robot is not moving. The robot could be waiting for an input signal that will permit it to continue activity.
• If the robot is running in a pattern, do not assume it will continue to run in the same pattern.
• Never try to stop the robot, or break its motion, with your body. The only way to stop robot motion immediately is to press an EMERGENCY STOP button located on the controller panel, teach pendant, or emergency stop stations around the workcell.

Robot Safety During Inspection

When inspecting the robot, be sure to:

• Turn off power at the controller.
• Lock out and tag out the power source at the controller according to the policies of your plant.
• Turn off the compressed air source and relieve the air pressure.
• If robot motion is not needed for inspecting the electrical circuits, press the EMERGENCY STOP button on the operator panel.
• Never wear watches, rings, neckties, scarves, or loose clothing that could get caught in moving machinery.
• If power is needed to check the robot motion or electrical circuits, be prepared to press the EMERGENCY STOP button, in an emergency.
• Be aware that when you remove a servomotor or brake, the associated robot arm will fall if it is not supported or resting on a hard stop. Support the arm on a solid support before you release the brake.

Robot Safety During Maintenance

When performing maintenance on your robot system, observe the following rules:

• Never enter the work envelope while the robot or a program is in operation.
• Before entering the work envelope, visually inspect the workcell to make sure no potentially hazardous conditions exist.
• Never wear watches, rings, neckties, scarves, or loose clothing that could get caught in moving machinery.
• Consider all or any overlapping work envelopes of adjoining robots when standing in a work envelope.
• Test the teach pendant for proper operation before entering the work envelope.
• If it is necessary for you to enter the robot work envelope while power is turned on, you must be sure that you are in control of the robot. Be sure to take the teach pendant with you, press the DEADMAN switch, and turn the teach pendant on. Be prepared to release the DEADMAN switch to turn off servo power to the robot immediately.
• Whenever possible, perform maintenance with the power turned off. Before you open the controller, front panel, or enter the work envelope, turn off and lock out the 3-phase power source at the controller.
• Be aware that an applicator bell cup can continue to spin at an extremely high speed even if the robot is idle. Use protective gloves or disable bearing air and turbine air before servicing these items.
• Be aware that when you remove a servomotor or brake, the associated robot arm will fall if it is not supported or resting on a hard stop. Support the arm on a solid support before you release the brake.

Lethal voltage is present in the controller WHENEVER IT IS CONNECTED to a power source. Be extremely careful to avoid electrical shock. HIGH VOLTAGE IS PRESENT at the input side whenever the controller is connected to a power source. Turning the disconnect or circuit breaker to the OFF position removes power form the output side of the device only.

• Release or block all stored energy. Before working on the pneumatic system, shut off the system air supply and purge the air lines.
• Isolate the robot from all remote-control signals. If maintenance must be done when the power is on, make sure the person inside the work envelope has sole control of the robot. The teach pendant must be held by this person.
• Make sure personnel cannot get trapped between the moving robot and other equipment. Know the path that can be used to escape from a moving robot. Make sure the escape route is never blocked.
• Use blocks, mechanical stops, and pins to prevent hazardous movement by the robot. Make sure that such devices do not create pinch points that could trap personnel.

Do not try to remove any mechanical component from the robot before thoroughly reading and understanding the procedures in the appropriate manual (supplied by FANUC with the equipment). Doing so can result in serious personal injury and equipment damage.

• Be aware that when you remove a servomotor or brake, the associated robot arm will fall if it is not supported or resting on a hard stop. Support the arm on a solid support before you release the brake.