Is this speed limit a safety acceptance?

No. It is an indicative planning number from an energy budget. Acceptance runs the ISO 15066 route: measure transient and quasi-static force and pressure at every contact point during commissioning.

Why does a margin above 1 draw a warning?

Because the margin derates the speed. Below 1 it leaves headroom for posture variance and teach error; above 1 the limit rises past the energy the body region can absorb.

Where do the energy and mass inputs come from?

The energy is the allowable transient contact value for the body region at risk. The mass is the effective moving mass at the contact from vendor data, often lower than the weighed tool.

What lowers the real limit the most?

The body region sets the energy budget, and the effective mass falls as the same tool approaches at a different posture. Rerun the page for each contact point instead of reusing one speed.

Robotics & Automation calculator

Collaborative Robot Speed Limit Calculator

Convert an allowable transient contact energy into an indicative TCP speed for a power and force limited cobot, then derate it with your margin. You need the energy budget, the effective mass and the margin.

What this calculator does

Indicative power and force limited TCP speed from an allowable contact energy, the effective mass and your margin.

Formula used

Contact energy (J) = allowable transient energy (mJ) ÷ 1,000
Unmargined speed (mm/sec) = SQRT(2 × contact energy ÷ effective mass) × 1,000
Speed limit with margin (mm/sec) = unmargined speed × safety margin multiplier
Margin derate (mm/sec) = unmargined speed − speed limit

Inputs explained

Allowable Transient Energy: Contact energy budget for the body region at risk, in millijoules.
Effective Mass at the TCP: Moving mass at the contact point, from vendor data for this posture.
Safety Margin Multiplier: Derate factor for posture variance and teach error, usually below 1.

How to use the result

Best suited to setting a cobot speed before pendant teach, comparing speed limits across body regions, checking a margin before force testing.
Indicative only; acceptance needs measured transient and quasi-static force and pressure at every contact. Clamping, sharp edges or a pinching geometry can force lower speeds than this energy estimate allows.

Current U.S. benchmarks

Global copper trades at $13,543 per tonne (IMF via FRED, Jul 2026), up 38.6% in a year, and U.S. industrial electricity averages 9.77 cents per kWh. Both feed electrified-hardware unit economics.

Common questions

Is this speed limit a safety acceptance? No. It is an indicative planning number from an energy budget. Acceptance runs the ISO 15066 route: measure transient and quasi-static force and pressure at every contact point during commissioning.
Why does a margin above 1 draw a warning? Because the margin derates the speed. Below 1 it leaves headroom for posture variance and teach error; above 1 the limit rises past the energy the body region can absorb.
Where do the energy and mass inputs come from? The energy is the allowable transient contact value for the body region at risk. The mass is the effective moving mass at the contact from vendor data, often lower than the weighed tool.
What lowers the real limit the most? The body region sets the energy budget, and the effective mass falls as the same tool approaches at a different posture. Rerun the page for each contact point instead of reusing one speed.

Last reviewed 2026-10-01.