Industry: Novatics and Apave combine safety and collaborative robotics
Novatics: innovation in the service of industrial safety
Novatics manufactures robotic end-of-line packaging systems (palletising, case packing). The safety of staff and customers is a key priority for the group, and innovation is essential in a highly competitive market. “We have been working with the Apave Group for around ten years; we regularly call on its teams to address machine-related issues, particularly for Assignments to ensure the compliance of new products under development,” says François Cottineau.
A 100% collaborative and safe gripper
Until now, the market has faced a major challenge, as the vacuum-gripping method does not allow for the handling of open cardboard boxes, crates or trays. The only solution is to use a two-jaw gripper, which carries a risk of pinching. To mitigate these risks, safety equipment is installed, whichà results in the method becoming non-collaborative and leads to additional costs, larger floor space requirements and reduced production rates. “Our ambition is to go beyond the minimum regulatory requirements. Currently, the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC stipulates that the force exerted on the operator’s hands in the event of contact must not exceed 140 Newton per 1 cm². In our case, the gripper can clamp a product with a force of up to 400 Newton, but with obstacle detection set at 20N. This corresponds to a light, painless pinch. It requires no additional equipment or the establishment of safety zones at customers’ premises. It is inherently safe,” explains François Cottineau.
Support from Apave: from design to certification
The Apave teams were involved in a support and consultancy assignment to ensure that this new gripper design complies with current standards and the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. “The design phase progressed in stages over a six-month period, during which we incorporated Apave’s feedback to ensure a technically sound solution. For example, on the design side, your teams verified that the proposed geometry did not create any additional risk of injury. Following the manufacture of the first gripper, Apave also carried out an assignment to validate the alignment between the technical design dossier and the final product, including various tests (14 certified load tests for cobotics). The teams’ level of expertise, combined with their in-depth knowledge of regulatory requirements and the industrial sector, contributed to the project’s success.
The Apave teams played a dual role: they acted both as auditors for the C by Apave certification and as advisors to help identify the best technical solutions.
C by Apave: the guarantee of a safe product
In the market, product certification guarantees a product’s performance. “In addition to filing a patent application, obtaining the C by Apave certification helps us strengthen our case against other so-called ‘collaborative’ solutions that require costly additional equipment and impact production rates. The certification, issued by a certified body such as Apave Certification, , validates the manufacturing process, which reassures our customers and demonstrates that our solution is genuinely safe.”
Cybersecurity: a challenge to be addressed
In future, new machines will have to meet a dual challenge: they must be both safe for the operators using them and resilient to cyberattacks. “We are planning to entrust Apave with support assignments relating to the new EU Regulation 2023/1230. This regulation also includes new obligations concerning cybersecurity. The aim is to protect our machines and the data collected from our customers against cyber threats,” concludes François Cottineau.
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