Last edit: 27/08/2024
EN (IEC) 60204-1 Requires the execution of a Functional Test of the Electrical Equipment of the Machinery, before placing it on the market.
The issue is that the standard does not give any detail on what that means!
We could find inspiration in the NFPA 79 that provides the following indications:
[NFPA 79: 2024] – 18.6 Functional Tests.
The functions of electrical equipment, particularly those related to safety and safeguarding, shall be tested and documented.
We see that NFPA 79 refers to the aspects related to “safety and Safeguarding”. We could therefore think that the standards requires the verification that all safety systems are properly working. Therefore, one way, is for example to activate the emergency push buttons and verify that the movements of the machinery stop.
That is, in reality, a bit “generic”.
We know for example that not all the elements powered must be switched off, for example, the air could be kept inside a Robot Cell if the risk assessment concludes it is not a risk, or that there is a higher risk to remove the pneumatic energy when the Emergency Stop function is activated.
What would be correct is to verify that the Span of Control of all the safety loops is properly implemented.
The Functional Test should also verify that all the thermal setting of the motor protections are correctly set and that all RCDs are properly working.