Robot Safety Conference to highlight new standard.
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Press Release Summary:
The RIA and the CSA will co-sponsor the North American Robot Safety Conference in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, from March 25-28, 2008. Safety features from the new ANSI/RIA/ISO 10218-1-2007 standard will be highlighted and the event will also look at the CSA Z434 robot safety standard - Industrial Robots and Robot Systems. The 6th annual spring safety conference will feature 4 days of training comprised of workshops, conference sessions, and a tabletop exhibit trade fair.
Original Press Release:
2008 North American Robot Safety Conference Highlights New International Standard on the Construction of Industrial Robots
Introduction on New ANSI/RIA/ISO 10218-1-2007, Tabletop Exhibits and More Part of "First-Ever" Safety Training Event in Waterloo, Ontario
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, February 6, 2008 - The Robotic Industries Association (RIA) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) will co-sponsor the North American Robot Safety Conference in a new venue accessible to both Canadian and U.S. participants, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The event, to be held March 25-28, 2008 at the Waterloo Inn & Conference Centre, is located 90 kilometers/55 miles or about one hour west of Toronto, convenient to both the Detroit and Buffalo border crossings. Also supporting the event are corporate sponsors and RIA member companies ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc., Cambridge, ON; Kawasaki Robotics (USA), Inc., Wixom, MI and Pilz Automation Safety L.P., Canton, MI.
"Among the buzz at this year's conference are some of the exciting safety features that will be highlighted from the newest robot safety standard - ANSI/RIA/ISO 10218-1-2007 - the national adoption of the ISO standard covering new robots only," said Jeff Fryman, Director of Standards Development for RIA. "This information will be introduced in sessions throughout the week." The safety event also takes a comprehensive look at the CSA Z434 robot safety standard - Industrial Robots and Robot Systems, focusing on user safety.
This sixth annual spring safety conference in Canada is designed to assist managers, technicians, engineers and other personnel meet their industrial safety needs. The four days of training are comprised of workshops, conference sessions, and a tabletop exhibit trade fair. The program is designed to aid attendees in learning how to improve efficiency while maintaining a safe environment and to discover the value safety standards have to a company. Participants will gain an understanding of the various safety standards through the detailed workshops and conference presentations.
Some 150 participants are expected to attend. Earlybird conference and workshop registration pricing is available through February 25, 2008. RIA and CSA members being entitled to a 10% savings on conference and workshop registration. Main-conference attendees will be able to participate in Thursday's tabletop exhibit trade fair and luncheon at no additional charge. Each full-conference registrant receives a complimentary copy of the CSA Z434 standard. The pre-conference workshops are available as separate registrations, or as options with the four-day pass to the entire conference.
The Workshops
The 2008 North American Robot Safety Conference has pre-conference workshops scheduled beginning on Tuesday afternoon, March 25, and continuing all day on Wednesday, March 26. Topics include Basic Safety Circuit Design, Z1000 Management System and a Risk Assessment Using Z434 exercise, all on Tuesday.
Wednesday sessions range from the CSA Z460 "Lockout" standard on Control of Hazardous Energy, Practical Robot Cell Design, Understanding the Z434 Robot Safety Standard, Essentials for Conducting PHSR's, Advanced Safety Circuit Design, and a new session on CSA Z462/NFPA 70E Electrical Safety in the Workplace.
The Conference
The main conference shifts into gear on Thursday, March 27, with a full day of sessions and a tabletop trade fair. Friday morning, March 28, will be a continuation of the conference sessions. Presentations scheduled include the New Robot Safety Standards, a Ministry of Labour update, a Legal Considerations case study, a Z434 Committee Panel Discussion, and Introductions to Safeguarding, Controls and the new ISO 13849-1:2006 standard. Additional new case studies will be featured throughout the two-day conference covering robotic automation and safety implementations.
Jeff Fryman goes on to say that, "The beauty of this international event is that experts gather in a single location to present information pertinent to both sides of the border. The Canadian Standard Z434 is 100% applicable in the United States. You have the opportunity to learn about robot safety from a number of professionals who have devoted their time and expertise to the implementation and continual improvement of safety systems in automated environments."
Tabletop Exhibit Trade Fair
The tabletop exhibit trade fair will take place on Thursday, March 27 during the expanded conference lunch hour from 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. "The tabletop exhibits have become one of the hallmarks of the safety event, with attendees looking forward to the opportunity of one-on-one, on-the-spot expert advise to assist them meet their safety-requirement needs." according to Jim Adams, RIA Marketing & Public Relations Manager. "The trade fair provides a quick and convenient way to compare a variety of robot and safety-related product and their vendors." An estimated 40 vendors will participate in this year's display.
Complimentary or discounted tabletops are available to RIA-member companies interested in exhibiting. Non-member companies are also welcome to display their products at the tabletops exhibits.
More Information
For the latest conference program and registration information, visit RIA's Robotics Online Web site.
Companies interested in exhibiting at the tabletop trade fair or in becoming an event sponsor can also visit the Association's Web site or call RIA at 734/994-6088.
About Robotic Industries Association
Founded in 1974, RIA is North America's leading robotics trade group, representing robotics manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, research groups, and consulting firms. The Association is known for exclusive industry statistics, the sponsor of the Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Awards, the biennial International Robots & Vision Show (Chicago) plus many regional events, is the secretariat of the ANSI/RIA R15.06-1999 Robot Safety Standard and has the world's leading online resource dedicated to robotics, Robotics Online. For more information on RIA, visit Robotics Online or contact RIA Headquarters at 734/994-6088.
Contact:
Jim Adams
Robotic Industries Association
734/994-6088
jadams@robotics.org
