Somebody else installed it. Now it is your problem.
A robot cell arrives on site, gets commissioned, and the integrator moves on. Two years later the guarding has been modified, the risk assessment was never finished, the validation records cannot be found, and the company that installed it has either left the market or stopped answering the phone.
Meanwhile the cell is still running, still in your production line, and still your responsibility as the operator of the plant.
We take that work on. Most integrators will not, because it means accepting responsibility for somebody else's install.
What we see most often
- Inherited or undocumented cells — a robot that came with the building, the acquisition or the second-hand machine, with no drawings and no program backup
- Missing or defeated guarding — interlocks bypassed to keep production moving, scanners repositioned, gates propped open, light curtains muted at the wrong point in the cycle
- Incomplete risk assessments — started, never finished, or done for a cell configuration that no longer matches what is on the floor
- No validation records — the safety devices are installed, but nobody has demonstrated that the safety function actually stops the hazard in time
- Commissioned but never signed off — the cell went into production on a Friday and the paperwork was never closed out
- Modified since install — new tooling, a different product, a conveyor change, and the safety case still describes the original cell
- The integrator has gone quiet — out of business, out of the country, or simply unwilling to come back
Why the licence matters here
This is the part that separates us from most robot integrators, and on a safety job it matters more than anywhere else.
Mobile Automation holds the electrical contractor licence (REC 8904) and does the robot integration. The same team can make the cell safe, bring the documentation up to standard, and certify the electrical work.
Most competitors hold one half of that and subcontract the other. That gap is precisely where a safety case falls apart — the integrator says the electrical work was out of scope, the electrician says the safety design was, and the operator is left holding a cell nobody will sign for. With one company and one licence there is no gap to argue about, and no subcontractor in the middle of a safety case.
How a remediation job runs
- Assess what is actually there — the cell as it stands today, not as the original drawings describe it. Hazard identification, existing safety devices, and what has been modified or defeated.
- Risk assessment — a documented assessment of the cell in its current configuration and duty. See risk assessment.
- Design the remediation — guarding, interlocks, scanners, safety-rated control and the changes needed to bring the cell to the required performance level.
- Install and rewire — our own electricians, our own mechanical team, under our own licence.
- Validate and document — demonstrate the safety functions perform as designed, and produce the records. See safety validation.
- Hand over a file you can produce under audit — assessment, design, test records and as-built drawings.
Standards
Robot cell safety work in Australia is generally assessed against the machinery safety series AS/NZS 4024, with functional safety design and performance levels addressed through ISO 13849, risk assessment methodology through ISO 12100, and electrical equipment of machines through IEC 60204-1. Electrical installation work is carried out to AS/NZS 3000.
The applicable standards and the current edition of each are confirmed per site, because they depend on the machine, its age, its duty and what has changed since it was installed. We do not attempt to tell you which clauses apply to your cell before we have seen it — that determination belongs in the risk assessment, not in marketing copy.
Ongoing rather than one-off
A remediated cell stays compliant only while it stays unmodified. Most customers who bring us in for remediation keep us on afterwards for the periodic review, the re-validation after a tooling change, and the electrical maintenance around the cell. That can sit inside a maintenance agreement.
Frequently asked questions
Will you work on a robot another company installed?
Yes. Inherited, undocumented and second-hand cells are the majority of this work. We assess the cell as it stands rather than relying on the original documentation.
What if the original integrator has gone out of business?
That is a common reason customers call. We do not need the original integrator's involvement to assess the cell, remediate it and produce new documentation.
Can you provide the risk assessment and the validation records?
Yes. Both, along with as-built drawings and test records, so there is a file you can produce under audit.
Do you handle the electrical work as well as the safety design?
Yes. Mobile Automation holds the electrical contractor licence REC 8904 and delivers the robot integration with the same team, so the safety design and the electrical certification are not split between companies.
Which standards apply to our cell?
That is determined per site as part of the risk assessment. Robot cell safety is generally assessed against AS/NZS 4024, with functional safety through ISO 13849, and the applicable edition depends on the machine and its duty.
Our guarding has been bypassed to keep production running. Can you help?
Yes, and it is worth dealing with rather than leaving. Remediation usually involves redesigning the safety system so it does not obstruct the production cycle, which is normally why it was defeated in the first place.
Can you re-validate a cell after we change tooling or product?
Yes. A modification can invalidate the existing safety case, so re-assessment and re-validation after a change is a normal part of keeping a cell compliant.
Have more questions? Get in touch with our team.