Preparing the published article.
Interlocks Between a Robot and Its Peripherals
Good interlocks remove whole categories of accident.
Common interlock relationships
| Object | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Safety door | Opening stops motion or brings the cell to a safe state |
| Light curtain | Interruption prevents entry into the danger zone |
| Fixture | Clamping must be confirmed before the robot moves |
| Conveyor | No pick before the part is presented |
Design principles
- Route safety signals through a dedicated circuit rather than ordinary logic.
- Require manual confirmation to reset after an interlock is triggered.
- Log interlock events so they can be analysed later.
- Re-verify every interlock after a modification.
The required category or performance level for each interlock follows from the risk assessment.