Safety 4.0 for collaborative robotics in the factories of the future

Abstract

Technology changes present a constant drive for evolvement in the manufacturing industry. This development has brought about a complete change in the way the industry implements technologies. The complexity of state-of-the-art technologies is on the increase as new and unforeseen perils continue to emerge. One of the main challenges being faced is the adaptation of manufacturing systems to the latest safety and security considerations. The research hypothesis being investigated is that a logically structured procedure incorporating safety and security would be able to assist in designing an ergonomic and collaborative manufacturing system while identifying and analysing risks, eventually establishing feasible solutions for these specific burdens. This paper therefore contributes a methodology which was developed to address issues of safety and security in the design and implementation of cyber-physical production systems in collaborative environments.