Safety and standards for a robotic welding cell
A robotic cell is a machine under European regulations: it must be designed, documented and CE marked. Welding, for its part, has its own quality standards. Here is the framework, explained by people who apply it.
The reference texts
The list is not exhaustive: the risk assessment of each installation determines the applicable standards.
| Reference | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Directive 2006/42/EC | Machinery Directive: essential safety requirements, CE marking, declaration of conformity. |
| Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 | Machinery Regulation replacing the directive, applicable from 20 January 2027. |
| EN ISO 12100 | Design principles and risk assessment, the starting point of any CE file. |
| EN ISO 10218-1 and -2 | Safety of industrial robots (-1) and of robot systems and cells (-2). |
| EN ISO 13849-1 | Safety-related parts of control systems: performance levels (PL). |
| EN ISO 13857, EN ISO 14120, EN ISO 14119 | Safety distances, guards, interlocking devices for access points. |
| EN ISO 14732 | Qualification of operators and setters for mechanised and automatic welding. |
| EN ISO 3834 | Quality requirements for fusion welding: what the workshop controls to guarantee its welds. |
| EN ISO 15614-1 | Qualification of welding procedures for steels (WPQR). |
| EN ISO 15012 | Equipment for capturing and filtering welding fumes. |
The machine: Machinery Directive and Regulation 2023/1230
Every machine placed on the European market must meet the essential health and safety requirements of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. The manufacturer carries out a risk assessment to EN ISO 12100, compiles a technical file, draws up the declaration of conformity and affixes the CE marking.
The directive will be replaced by Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, directly applicable in all Member States from 20 January 2027. It keeps most of the requirements and adds, in particular, obligations on the cybersecurity of control systems and on machines with evolving behaviour.
The robot and the cell: EN ISO 10218
EN ISO 10218-1 deals with the safety of the robot itself; EN ISO 10218-2 with its integration into a cell: guards, working zones, operating modes, stop functions. A robot is generally supplied as partly completed machinery: it is the complete cell that is CE marked, by the integrator.
Safety functions (emergency stop, access interlocking, zone monitoring) are designed to EN ISO 13849-1, with a performance level determined by the risk assessment.
Hazards specific to welding
- Arc radiation: screens and protective curtains around the welding area.
- Fumes: the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified welding fumes as carcinogenic to humans since 2017. Capture at source (EN ISO 15012) is essential.
- Spatter and fire: an area kept clear of combustible materials, suitable protection.
- Electrical hazard: compliant installation and earthing of the welding power source.
People: EN ISO 14732
Operators and setters of mechanised or automatic welding installations are qualified to EN ISO 14732. It is not the same qualification as for manual welders (EN ISO 9606-1): it covers running and setting up the installation.
Welds: EN ISO 3834 and EN ISO 15614-1
EN ISO 3834 defines the quality requirements a workshop puts in place to control its welds: review of requirements, personnel, procedures, inspection, traceability. The welding procedures themselves are qualified to EN ISO 15614-1 for steels. Our article EN ISO 3834 explained for buyers details what the standard guarantees.
For load-bearing structural steel components, CE marking also falls under EN 1090. The parts we produce are generally not structural components; if yours are, say so in your request.
Frequently asked questions
Who is responsible for CE marking a robotic cell?
Do my operators need to be qualified welders?
What does the new Machinery Regulation change?
A compliance question?
Layout, guarding, operator qualification: let's discuss it with an engineer.