Machinery
The machines this is about.
Machines that move on their own, inside a building full of people. Each family below carries its own standard, its own failure modes and its own argument with a market surveillance authority.
Classes and standards
What each one is judged against.
| Machine class | Primary standard | Protective field | Field sets |
|---|---|---|---|
| AGV and AMR, floor guided | EN ISO 3691‑4:2023 | 1 500 – 2 200 mm | 4 |
| Shuttle, rack guided | EN 528:2021 | Enclosed | — |
| Stacker crane | EN 528:2021 | Enclosed | — |
| Pallet conveyor and sortation | EN 619:2022 | 900 mm | 1 |
| Robotic palletising cell | EN ISO 10218‑2:2025 | 1 200 mm | 2 |
| Tow tractor, automated | EN ISO 3691‑4:2023 | 2 400 mm | 3 |
Field distances are indicative. The real number comes from the stopping distance measured on your floor, loaded, at every rated speed.
By machine family
Three families, in detail.
Each of these deserves its own page. The headings are set; the detail is still to be written.
To be written
Shuttle systems
Rack-guided shuttles under EN 528. Enclosed by design, so the argument moves from protective fields to access interlocks, aisle-end gates and what happens during maintenance.
To be written
AGV and AMR fleets
Floor-guided vehicles under EN ISO 3691‑4. Speed-switched field sets, measured stopping distance, and a fleet manager that has to be assessed as one safety function rather than as software.
To be written
Integrated systems
Stacker cranes, conveyors and palletising cells working as one installation under EN ISO 11161. Where most files are weakest, because nobody owns the boundary between two machines.
A machine without a file is not on the market. It is exposed.
Send the layout drawing and I will tell you what the machine is, which standards apply, and where the risk actually sits.