not if there’s a chance the operator can walk into the robot’s arm movement area.”

Though many equipment developers feel that new directives only apply to new designs, Heinz notes that these regulations apply to any equipment that’s sold in Europe. “You need to update your certification even if you haven’t changed anything in a product that’s been shipping for a while,” Heinz says.

Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) represents a major change in European safety standards, so it will cast a long shadow across the equipment landscape. Design engineers will need to consider its impact in both old and new designs, or they’re likely to spend a lot more time considering fixes after the equipment has shipped.

For more information regarding safety and the EU Machinery Directive, please email Tim Parmer, safety product consultant, Siemens Industry, at tim.parmer@siemens.com.