Requirement specification template Robotic Welding Cell (Automotive)
TemplatesThis template provides a professional framework for designing and documenting a robotic MIG/MAG welding cell. It is specifically tailored to meet the rigorous standards of the automotive industry and European safety regulations.
Important: This template is designed as a comprehensive starting point for your own project. It is not a static document but a foundation to be tailored, expanded, and refined according to your specific machine layout and customer specifications.
How to use this Template
- Initialize your Project: Import this template into your ETRM environment to create your initial requirement backlog.
- Review & Adapt: Go through the list of "Placeholder requirements". Review the values (e.g., distances, times) and replace the placeholders with your actual calculated or measured data.
- Filter by Discipline: Use the tags to assign responsibilities and filter tasks for specific engineering departments.
Tag Legend (Disciplines & Categories)
To facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration, every requirement is categorized using the following tags:
- SEC (Safety): Critical requirements for CE conformity, risk mitigation, and person protection.
- SW (Software): Functional logic, communication watchdogs, handshakes, and recovery strategies.
- MECH (Mechanics): Physical design, guards, sensor mounting, and pneumatic/mechanical layouts.
- EL (Electrical): Power supply, wiring standards, emergency stop circuits, and I/O mapping.
- QUAL (Quality): Requirements concerning weld seam integrity, logging, and calibration routines.
- DOC (Documentation): Legal requirements, manuals, risk assessments, and certificates.
- PROC (Process): Cycle time targets, throughput specifications, and production-related KPIs.
Regulatory Framework
This template references the most important international standards for robotics. Use these as a basis for your compliance strategy:
- ISO 10218-2: Safety requirements for industrial robot systems and integration.
- ISO 13849-1: Safety-related parts of control systems (Performance Level).
- ISO 13855: Positioning of safeguards with respect to the approach speeds of parts of the human body.
Traceability & Compliance
By managing these requirements in the ETRM, you create a "Single Source of Truth." This is essential for the CE Conformity Assessment (Machinery Directive). Every status change in a requirement is logged, providing the necessary audit trail for safety experts and final customer acceptance.
Preview of Requirements
| Structure element | Requirement | Description | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
1 Safety Engineering & Standards | Safety Distance Light Curtain (ISO 13855) | Calculation of distance S according to S = (K * T) + C. K=2000mm/s. The total stopping time T must be validated by measurement after installation. Minimum dimension 500mm. | SECMECH |
1 Safety Engineering & Standards | Enabling Device in Teach Mode (T1) | Speed limitation to <250mm/s in teach mode. Movement only possible with active 3-position enabling switch on the teach pendant (ISO 10218-2). | SECSW |
1 Safety Engineering & Standards | E-Stop Concept (Stop Category 1) | Controlled stop according to EN 60204-1 during Emergency Stop. Galvanic isolation of the drives occurs only after the axes have come to a complete standstill. | SECEL |
1 Safety Engineering & Standards | Residual Energy: Pneumatic Exhaust | Safety valves for automatic exhaust of clamping cylinders during E-Stop or safety gate opening. | SECMECH |
2 Mechanics & Cell Design | Weld Spatter Protection for Sensors | Optical sensors within a 1.5m radius of the process require automated compressed air blow-off devices to prevent weld spatter adhesion. | MECH |
2 Mechanics & Cell Design | Extraction Volume Flow Monitoring | Integration of a flow sensor. If the flow falls below 1000 m³/h, the welding process must be inhibited via software. | MECHSEC |
2 Mechanics & Cell Design | Welding Torch Maintenance Access | Consumable replacement must be possible via secured maintenance windows (safety switches with interlocking) without removing the safety fencing. | MECHDOC |
3 Electrical Engineering & Communication | Profinet Communication Watchdog | Set the watchdog time between PLC and robot to 24ms. A communication loss must trigger an immediate safety stop (Stop Cat 0). | SWEL |
3 Electrical Engineering & Communication | Work Area Illumination | Installation of LED high-bay reflectors to achieve at least 500 lux inside the cell (maintenance lighting). | EL |
3 Electrical Engineering & Communication | Workpiece Presence Detection | Verification of correct workpiece positioning via three inductive sensors. Welding release is only granted if all sensors provide a 'High' signal. | MECHEL |
4 Software & Robot Control | TCP Calibration Routine | Software check cycle of the Tool Center Point (TCP) every 50 workpieces. Automatic stop if deviation exceeds >0.5mm. | SWQUAL |
4 Software & Robot Control | Home Position Strategy (Recovery) | Collision-free retraction strategy to the home position. Must work from any position without manual teaching of the robot axes. | SW |
5 Welding Process & Quality | Cycle Time Requirement | The total cycle time per part must not exceed 45s. Pure welding time is to be limited to max. 28s through optimized path planning. | PROC |
5 Welding Process & Quality | Welding Parameter Logging (Traceability) | Cyclic recording of current, voltage, and gas flow. Data transfer to the MES system for seamless component traceability. | QUALSW |
6 Documentation & Commissioning | CE Conformity Assessment | Provision of the risk assessment according to ISO 12100 and the Declaration of Conformity according to Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. | DOC |
Disclaimer: This template serves as a guide for requirements management and does not replace a formal risk assessment according to ISO 12100. All placeholder values must be verified by a qualified engineer.