Cobots: Why the Full Application Determines Safety and Success

As manufacturers look for ways to improve efficiency and safety, collaborative robots (cobots) have become a buzzword in the automation space. With their sleek designs, built-in safety features, and the promise of working alongside humans without cages or guarding, cobots often seem like an easy solution.

But there’s a catch–and it’s a big one.

At Midwest Engineered Systems (MWES), we remind customers every day:

The term “collaborative” doesn’t just apply to the robot–it applies to the entire system.

A cobot that’s labeled safe by design may not be safe in your specific application. Before deploying one on your shop floor, it’s critical to assess how it’s being used, what it’s interacting with, and whether the full system can operate collaboratively and safely.

 

What Makes a Collaborative Robot System Truly Safe?

Yes, cobots are designed with safety in mind–typically operating at slower speeds, with rounded edges, force-limiting sensors, and other built-in protections. However, once you add sharp tools, heavy payloads, high-speed movement, or unpredictable tasks, that built-in safety may no longer apply.

Context matters.
A cobot welding station with exposed arcs, for instance, isn’t safe just because the robot arm has sensors. Likewise, a cobot lifting sharp metal parts may still pose a hazard to nearby operators.

 

ISO 10218-2:2025: A New Standard for System-Level Safety

The recently updated ISO 10218-2:2025 standard takes this concept further, offering new guidance for evaluating the safety of collaborative systems—not just the robot.

This standard requires integrators and end users to assess and validate safety across the entire system, including:

• • The robot

• • The End-of-Arm Tooling (grippers, welders, vacuums, etc.)

• • The parts or materials being handled

• • The environment where the system is installed

• • The people interacting with or working near the system

What does this mean in practice?

A robot alone cannot be declared “collaborative.” Instead, the full system must undergo a risk assessment and validation to ensure it operates safely in a shared space.

At MWES, we believe this is a positive step for the industry. It reinforces the importance of thoughtful design, system-level thinking, and proactive safety planning–all principles we’ve long applied in our integration work.

 

Questions to Ask Before Deploying a Cobot

If your business is exploring automation–or looking to expand it–this change in how “collaboration” is defined should be a wake-up call. Simply buying a cobot and placing it on the production floor doesn’t make your process safe or compliant.

Instead, begin by asking the right questions:

• • What is the cobot doing?

• • What tools is it using?

• • What materials is it handling?

• • Who will be working around it–and how?

• • Is the space controlled and predictable?

These questions will help determine whether your system can be collaborative–or if traditional safety measures (like guarding, light curtains, or reduced speed zones) are still necessary.

 

MWES’s Approach to Smart, Safe Cobot Integration

At MWES, we’ve been designing and integrating both traditional and collaborative automation systems for decades. We don’t just drop in a robot and call it a day–we assess the full application, work environment, and safety requirements to ensure a solution that works and protects your people.

We work with your team to:

• • Conduct full system risk assessments

• • Design collaborative or conventional solutions based on application needs

• • Ensure compliance with ISO 10218-2:2025 and other relevant safety standards

• • Deliver a scalable, reliable automation system tailored to your operation

If you’re hearing “this robot is collaborative,” make sure you stop and ask: Is the system really designed to be?

With the right partner, you’ll have the confidence to say yes–with the performance to back it up.