How do Chef robots work safely alongside people?
Chef robots use a collaborative robot arm designed for human-robot applications. We designed our robots to work safely alongside line workers using ISO/TS 15066:2016 guidance.
There are only two moving parts on the system:
1) The robot arm
The collaborative robot arm uses power-and-force limiting, which triggers a protective stop when configured safety limits are exceeded. We also configure safety-rated virtual planes to restrict the arm’s motion to defined areas around the ingredient pans and conveyor.
2) The end effector
For the end effectors, we designed them to be human-safe:
- It has pressure-limited pneumatic tooling
- The utensil geometry design reduces pinch and shear hazards
- The utensil design “ejects” any body part that may accidentally enter
Additional safeguards include:
- (As needed by customers) Fixed guarding and interlocked access doors that de-energize the system when opened
- Emergency-stop controls
- Manual restart following protective stops
- Safety controls that override normal operation
Chef has a 3rd party risk assessment to validate all of the above.
How do Chef robots improve worker safety?
Meal assembly is repetitive, physically demanding work that is often performed in cold production environments. Hours of scooping, portioning, lifting, and spreading ingredients can contribute to fatigue and repetitive strain injuries.
Ergonomic design features
Chef robots improve workplace ergonomics by taking on repetitive meal-assembly tasks, allowing staff to focus on cooking, quality control, supervision, refills, and line management instead. Our slide-in ingredient pans reduce the need to lift ingredient pans during refills, self-leveling feet eliminate manual wrench adjustments, and a glove-friendly touchscreen simplifies operation in cold rooms.
By combining food-safe materials, sanitary construction, collaborative robotics, and ergonomic design, Chef helps food manufacturers automate meal assembly without compromising on product or personnel safety.
Contact us to learn how Chef’s AI-enabled robots can support safe and efficient meal assembly in your facility.
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