The Difference Between Hard Guarding and Soft Guarding in Robotic Systems
When designing a robotic or automated system, choosing the right type of guarding is essential for both safety and efficiency. While both hard and soft guarding serve the same ultimate goal—protecting your workforce—they achieve it in very different ways.
Below, we break down the distinct advantages and applications of each method to help you decide which is better suited for your facility.
Hard Guarding
Hard guarding refers to physical barriers that permanently isolate people from hazardous machinery.
What it is: Fixed enclosures made of materials like welded wire mesh, steel panels, or polycarbonate.
How it works: It physically prevents a person from reaching into a danger zone.
Best for: High-risk environments involving heavy industrial robots, pinch points, or palletizing cells where no interaction is required.
The Pros: It offers the highest level of protection (zero contact), requires minimal maintenance, and easily meets OSHA/ANSI standards.
The Cons: Once installed, it is rigid and difficult to move if your floor layout changes.
- The Cost Factor: Moderate initial cost but very low ongoing costs since steel mesh rarely breaks or needs updates.
Soft Guarding
Soft guarding utilizes electronic safety devices to create a “virtual” barrier around a machine.
What it is: Technologies such as light curtains, laser scanners, and pressure-sensitive safety mats.
How it works: Instead of blocking access, these devices detect when a person enters a zone and immediately trigger an emergency stop signal to the machine.
Best for: Collaborative environments (cobots) or areas where operators need frequent access to the machine for loading/unloading.
The Pros: It is highly flexible; safety zones can often be reprogrammed without moving hardware.
The Cons: It generally has higher lifecycle costs due to the need for regular sensor calibration and validation.
- The Cost Factor: Lower upfront price tag but higher ongoing costs due to the maintenance required to keep sensors compliant and operational.
At SpaceGuard, we design custom robotic and machine guarding systems that balance protection, accessibility, and modular flexibility. Our hard guarding panels, doors, and partitions meet OSHA and RIA standards and can be integrated with electronic safety devices for a complete solution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use soft guarding for high-risk heavy machinery? A: Generally, no. Heavy machinery with long stopping times or high-risk pinch points usually requires hard guarding to physically prevent access. Soft guarding is better suited for lower-risk or collaborative applications where the machine can stop instantly.
Which guarding option is cheaper? A: Soft guarding often has a cheaper upfront purchase price. However, Hard Guarding is usually cheaper in the long run because it requires almost no maintenance or calibration compared to electronic sensors.
Can SpaceGuard integrate both types? A: Yes. Many modern facilities use a hybrid approach—using hard guarding for the rear and sides of a machine, and soft guarding (like a light curtain) at the front for easy operator access.
Get a quote or speak with a guarding expert today.
