CE Certification for Delta's SCARA Industrial Robot Opens Door to Europe

TAIPEI, Taiwan - June 12, 2017 - PRLog -- Germany is already pushing for Industry 4.0, while China has its Made in China 2025 concept. The Taiwanese manufacturing sector must now make decisions on its transformation and upgrading. Issues such as labor shortages, offshoring, product requirement variation, and time-consuming product-line changes have led to widespread industry interest in industrial robots for smart automation. The introduction of industrial robots means production lines are now capable of automated production. The result is faster production, lower costs, improved product precision, and better product consistency. For some hazardous areas such as explosive, dusty, or toxic environments that are too dangerous for human workers, industrial robots can be used to prevent occupational injury. Taiwan has a solid industrial foundation in ICT and well-developed precision machinery industry clusters, and thus the development of Industry 4.0 represents an opportunity for transformation. It is also a challenge that Taiwan must meet to stay in the race.

The SCARA industrial robot was unveiled by Delta Electronics in 2015. It has since been progressively introduced on a number of Delta's production lines. Reports from the field indicate that the production cycle has been effectively shortened, and daily production increased by as much as three-fold. SCARA is positioned as a light industrial robot targeted at "light industries" around the globe, and the electronics manufacturing industry in particular. The integration of Delta's automated visual, pressure, and optical testing functions means it can be more closely tailored to actual conditions on the production line to ensure personnel safety and trouble-free production operations. Past SCARA production was mainly targeted at Taiwan and China; CE certification means it is now set to enter the European market as well.

Industrial robots or robotic arms are primarily used in the production of high-precision products. The ISO 10218-1 international standard now in widespread use covers the safety requirements of the robot itself, and also covers the safety requirements for the integration of the robot into the final production line. These provide a set of personnel protection guidelines for robotic systems during system integration and installation, functional testing, operations, and maintenance. This standard now forms the basic framework in the EU, US, and Japan, and all developed nations use this standard for the formulation of their domestic standards as well. Meeting this standard will therefore help products achieve international acceptance and entry into international markets.

CE certification provides a safety mark essential for most products destined for Europe. Products that display the "CE" mark can move freely between EU member states. The Delta SCARA industrial robot had to complete a battery of tests to receive CE certification via TÜV Rheinland, and this certification indicates that the product conforms with EU requirements on mechanical safety (Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC), electromagnetic compatibility (EMC Directive 2014/30/EU), and safety requirements for industrial robots (ISO 10218-1).

According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), Chinese demand for industrial robots is expected to rise to 150,000 units by 2018, and the demand for industrial robots from other parts of the world will continue to grow as well. The view of TÜV Rheinland, an international certification organization, is that while smart industrial robots and the global trend towards smart manufacturing will bring about the next industrial revolution, functional safety (IEC 61508 and ISO 13849) must still be taken into consideration. A robot that fails to perform commanded actions may cause serious harm/damage to personnel, environment, and/or product. Rigorous safety certification is necessary to ensure that robots can better protect themselves and humans while accomplishing assigned tasks. The design and development of industrial, service, emergency response, and medical-care robots must conform to the standards set for the intended application and/or the target country. The only unchanging requirement is safety -- protection of the user, prevention of damage to product and equipment, and provision of a safe working environment. TÜV Rheinland provides safety and quality guarantees for robots while ensuring product design conforms fully with international robotic standards as well as other related requirements for export to China (CR), the US (cTUVus), and Europe (CE).