Safety & compliance
Welding cobot safety, by the standard
ISO 10218-1 covers the robot arm itself and ISO 10218-2 covers system integration, while ISO/TS 15066 sets additional requirements specific to collaborative applications. A formal risk assessment is mandatory before deployment regardless of guarding style, and welding fume extraction must separately meet local occupational health regulations.
Safety is the one area of a welding cobot purchase where cutting a corner is not a cost saving, it is a liability. Lighter guarding on a collaborative cell changes the mechanical risk picture; it does not remove the welding-specific hazards underneath it.
The standards that apply
ISO 10218-1 addresses the robot itself, ISO 10218-2 addresses the integrated system, and ISO/TS 15066 adds collaborative-specific requirements on top. All three sit alongside, not instead of, a project-specific risk assessment.
What is easy to miss
Welding fume extraction is regulated separately from robot safety and is a common gap in first-time cobot deployments. See welding cobot models for arms with published safety documentation, and welding robot for sale for what to ask a supplier to provide before you sign.
In this section
- Robot Welding Purification Workcell: What Buyers Need to Know Robot welding purification workcell design, components, and costs explained for buyers specifying fume control alongside a robotic welding cell.
- Welding Cobot Arc Flash Protection: A Practical Guide Welding cobot arc flash protection explained: hazard types, PPE standards, cell enclosure design and ISO 10218 compliance for automated welding.
- Cobot Welding Cell Risk Assessment Cobot welding cell risk assessment: ISO 10218 requirements, hazard identification, and how to complete a formal safety review before commissioning.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Does a welding cobot still need a risk assessment if it has reduced guarding?
- Yes. Reduced guarding under a collaborative design does not remove the requirement for a formal risk assessment under ISO 10218-2 and ISO/TS 15066. Welding adds hazards, arc flash, fumes, and hot spatter, that a generic cobot risk assessment does not automatically cover.
- Are welding fumes covered by robot safety standards?
- No. ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066 address mechanical and collision safety, not air quality. Welding fume extraction is a separate requirement under local occupational health regulations and needs its own engineering, independent of whether the arm is a cobot or a traditional industrial robot.