The customer is buying a production line that runs reliably, not just a bare robot that moves. Keep four things separate: controller, programming method, line communication and safety. And be clear whether you deliver commissioning of the robot or a turnkey cell.

• Name 4 programming methods
• Name 4 collaborative modes
• Know the main safety standards
• Fill in a RACI

Controller and teach pendant

The controller is the robot's computing and motion-control centre, usually a separate cabinet (cobots often have a compact control box). The teach pendant is the handheld programming terminal for teaching points, editing paths and interlocking with peripheral equipment through I/O (Input/Output).

Four programming methods

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Line communication

Robots talk to the line through industrial protocols, commonly PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT and Modbus TCP, plus OPC UA towards MES. You don't need to configure the network, but you must confirm whether your controller supports the protocol the customer's PLC uses, and whether an extra communication card or software option is needed. Assuming it will “just connect” is a high-risk assumption.

How standards apply to a real cell

Standards answer different questions. ISO 12100 provides a method for identifying hazards, estimating risk and reducing it. ISO 10218-1 addresses the robot; ISO 10218-2 addresses robot applications and cells. A robot certificate covers its stated scope; it does not certify the entire production line by default.

A cobot may have built-in safety functions, yet the integrator still assesses the gripper, part shape, pinch points, tool speed, nearby equipment and operator paths. A sharp tool or a faster conveyor can change the original risk assessment. Sales should establish the product boundary, integration boundary and country of use, then ask engineering which documents apply.

Safety: collaborative modes and standards

Safety measures include emergency stops, safety gates, light curtains, safety laser scanners and reduced-speed zones. Industrial arms commonly use safety fences; collaborative applications still need a risk assessment. Saying “cobots need no fence” in a way that implies “perfectly safe, no assessment needed” is seriously misleading.

The four collaborative modes

Note: ISO 10218 was revised in 2025. The new edition emphasises the “collaborative application” rather than the “collaborative robot”, and absorbs the main content of ISO/TS 15066. The four modes above remain the common industry vocabulary; always check the standards in force where the customer is.

▶Optional deep dive

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How a risk assessment works

“Is this robot safe?” is the wrong question. Safety is not a property of a machine but the result of a particular application in a particular environment. The same cobot may be safe polishing with a sponge and dangerous cutting with a blade. The general method for machine safety comes from ISO 12100 and has five steps:

1. Determine the limits of the machineWhat it is for, who will come near it, where it is used, and what misuse can reasonably be foreseen.
2. Identify hazardsImpact, crushing, shearing, ejected parts, electrical, heat and so on, listed for each phase: normal operation, teaching, maintenance, cleaning.
3. Estimate the riskCombine severity of harm, frequency of exposure, probability of occurrence and possibility of avoidance.
4. Evaluate the riskDecide whether it has been reduced to an acceptable level.
5. Reduce the riskIn order of priority: inherently safe design first (lower speed, no sharp edges), then safeguarding (fences, light curtains, scanners), and only then information for use (warning signs, training). Then go back to step 2.

Robot applications add the specific requirements of ISO 10218-2, and collaborative applications also refer to the permitted contact forces and pressures for each body region in ISO/TS 15066. This is work for the integrator or the customer's safety engineers. Your job is to state in the quote who does the risk assessment and who pays for it.

Case: one cobot, two different answers

An electronics plant wants a cobot to pick plastic housings beside an operator. The unloaded demo runs smoothly, so the salesperson says, “No fence needed.” Engineering finds a pinch point at the production gripper and operators must reach between the robot and fixture. The team rounds fixture edges, changes the layout and validates safety-rated monitored stop when a person enters. Speed, stopping distance and restart steps go into the validation plan.

The conclusion is not that a cobot always needs or never needs a fence. The robot, tool, part, layout and work method together determine the risk. Sales should record site conditions, involve a safety engineer and avoid promising a safety outcome before assessment.

Delivery scope and RACI

“Robot plus commissioning” and “tooling + vision + line integration” are different delivery packages. The contract must spell out the interfaces: mechanical, electrical, protocols and the I/O list. Use a RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) and fill in “us / customer / SI” before you quote.

Confirm: the existing PLC brand and protocol; who writes the interlock logic; who owns the safety circuit; who supplies sample parts and fixtures. Don't turn the SI's responsibilities into your company's standard promise.