My country's robotics industry is accelerating the establishment of a standardized system covering the entire industry chain, encompassing various types of robots, including industrial, service, humanoid, and embodied intelligent robots. Core standards have been successively released and implemented. These standards comprehensively regulate robot design, manufacturing, and application, from safety and control architecture to intelligence levels.
Industrial robots are centered around the GB 11291 series and the international standard ISO 10218:2025, focusing on robot safety and system integration.
GB 11291.1-2011 is my country's mandatory safety standard for industrial robot bodies, applicable to various industrial robots used for handling, welding, and painting, covering basic safety requirements such as material strength, protection of moving parts, and emergency stop devices.
ISO 10218-1:2025 and -2:2025 are the latest international standards, released in February 2025, representing the first major revision since 2011. Key updates include:
Mandatory Cybersecurity: Threat assessments are required, and a comprehensive protection system covering controllers, communication interfaces, and OTA upgrades must be established.
Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) Included as a Mandatory Requirement: The original ISO/TS 15066 standard is integrated, clearly defining biomechanical limits for collisions involving different parts of the human body (e.g., trunk pressure, limb force).
Differentiated Management of Robot Classification: Class I (lightweight collaborative) and Class II (large and heavy-duty) classifications are added to avoid a "one-size-fits-all" approach.
Functional Safety Classification Adaptation: The unified PLD requirement is removed, allowing the setting of PLC-PLe levels for different safety functions based on risk assessments.
