Support in implementation of new EU Machinery Regulation at AGVs

On Jan. 20, 2027, the European Machinery Regulation will replace the current laws and regulations (the Machinery Directive). This means that machine manufacturers must comply with new requirements regarding the safety of machines and installations. Legislation is often complex, but Pilz as a knowledge partner can provide plenty of support to achieve safety and business goals. Indeed, Pilz is more than a supplier of automation technology, including safety solutions for the automation of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV), AGV systems and mobile platforms (AMR). The company also offers a wide range of safety services, including training and risk assessments.

The Machinery Regulation contains comprehensive regulations on the safety and health protection of machinery, including new technologies such as artificial intelligence. Key issues include safety requirements, new conformity assessment procedures and stricter market surveillance. Barney Bartelink works as a safety consultant at Pilz and explains that the Machine Regulation will include requirements for the cybersecurity of machines: "This will have the biggest impact and we get a lot of questions about this. But let me start with the good news: the provision of a manual in digital form will be allowed! Something the industry has been waiting for for a long time."

CE mark

Another change concerns CE marking. "In the future, people will not be allowed to mark everything themselves, but in certain cases it will have to be done by an independent body. Incidentally, the regulation now explicitly mentions AGVs. These already had to have a CE marking, but now the system must also have this label. Not only is the robot itself considered, but also the environment in which it drives and its speed. These areas must be well defined. We can contribute to this with our product solutions, such as the safety laser scanner PSENscan."

Industrial security

As a knowledge partner, Pilz offers a varied range that includes consulting, documentation, webinars, engineering and training. Useful for interpreting and applying the new normative and legal requirements for machine safety, among other things. "The new technologies in our industry concern the high degree of networking of industrial plants, through the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and robotics. This networking increases the risk of exploiting vulnerabilities in IT systems and causing economic and physical damage. And that is why the Machine Regulation includes regulations around cybersecurity. We have expanded our service offerings to include appropriate training in this area. In addition, we have hired someone who specializes in cybersecurity so that he can provide customers with optimal support."

Risk assessment AGV

Machine manufacturers can save time and costs by using Pilz as their safety and automation partner for the entire application. Pilz offers a total package of services, right through to international conformity assessment. For example, one can engage Pilz for a Design Risk Assessment (DRA), Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and Site Acceptance Test (SAT). "With a DRA, we help the manufacturer, on site or remotely, already at the design stage with a risk analysis. That prevents a lot of repair work and adjustments afterwards. Then, as soon as the manufacturer starts testing the system, we can use a FAT or SAT to check whether what has been installed is actually satisfactory. During the FAT, we give advice on specific safety functions for navigation, steering, braking and speed monitoring. An FAT is therefore also of interest to manufacturers of AGVs. In doing so, we provide the relevant certificates of conformity."