Do cobots need fencing? Safety-deployment basics
Engineering guides Updated
Cobots have collision detection and speed limits, but 'fence-free' depends on a whole-cell risk assessment (per ISO/TS 15066 thinking): the end effector, part edges and cycle time all change the verdict - assess the full station before deploying.
Cobots (UR5e, JAKA Zu 7) carry force/collision detection and safety-rated speed limits - the basis for sharing space with people, but not sufficient for fence-free on its own. Risk lives in the whole cell: a sharp end effector, a burred part or takt-driven full speed can turn a safe arm into one needing separation.
Recommended flow: run a station risk assessment, choose the collaborative mode (safety-rated monitored stop / power-and-force limiting), then set and document speed and zone parameters. KIES treats this assessment as a standard step in cobot-cell delivery.