Patent ID: 8452443

Claim:
An industrial robot system comprising: a workcell including a load area and a process area, at least one detector detecting when a human enters the load area of the workcell, a manipulator located in the workcell and adapted to process a workpiece, at least one positioner adapted to hold the workpiece and to change an orientation of the workpiece about at least a first axis while the manipulator processes the workpiece, said first axis controlled by a first motor and a first drive unit, a station exchanger movable about a second axis and adapted to move, upon command, the manipulator or the positioner between said load and process area of a workcell, said second axis controlled by a second motor and a second drive unit, an axis controller configured to control the first and second drive units, a safety controller configured to continuously receive information on the positions of the first and second axes and information on the presence of a human within the load area from the detector, wherein the axis controller is configured to switch between executing at least two tasks: a first task in which the first and second drive units are instructed by the axis controller to standstill for allowing a human to enter the load area, and a second task in which the first and second drive units are allowed to move, and wherein the safety controller is further configured to generate a stop signal to disable the first drive unit upon receiving information of a human detected within the load area while the first axis is moving within the load area, and wherein the safety controller is further configured to generate a stop signal to disable the second drive unit upon receiving information of a human detected within the load area while the second axis is moving.