What is FANUC DCS?
FANUC Dual Check Safety (DCS): Smart Protection Inside Your Robot Cell
In advanced automation environments, safety isn’t just about fences—it’s about intelligent control logic that anticipates risk. That’s why FANUC’s Dual Check Safety (DCS) stands out as an industry-leading feature: integrated, smart, and standards-aligned.
What Is FANUC DCS?
Dual Check Safety (DCS) is a software-based safety architecture built directly into FANUC robot controllers. It continuously monitors the robot’s position and speed data, using two independent CPUs to cross-check critical motion parameters. Any deviation triggers an immediate motor shutdown via redundant safety pathways—no extra external sensors needed.
DCS provides multiple safety functions:
Emergency-Stop control (Category 4, meeting ANSI/RIA R15.06 and EN 954-1)
Joint and Cartesian position checks
Joint and Cartesian speed checks
All coordinated to keep both operators and robots safe within defined zones.
Why It Matters in the U.S.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) relies on the ANSI/RIA R15.06-2012 standard for industrial robot safety—modern adoption of ISO 10218-1/-2. This standard mandates thorough risk assessment, safe design, and integration practices to protect workers. DCS helps integrators and operators comply by enabling software-defined safe zones instead of rigid hard-guarding.
With DCS, robotic cells can be more compact and flexible—while still maintaining compliance—reducing the need for bulky perimeter barriers and costly hard limits.
Safety Requirements & Best Practices
To deploy FANUC robots with DCS safely in the U.S., system designers must:
Adhere to ANSI/RIA R15.06-2012 for overall robot system safety (both manufacture and integration). OSHA+1
Conduct task-based risk assessment (RIA TR R15.306) and assess safeguarding strategies (RIA TR R15.406). OSHA
Offer comprehensive training for operators and maintenance staff—including safe jog operation, emergency procedures, and hazard awareness—as emphasized in FANUC Safety Manuals.
Design appropriate machine guards, interlocks, locks-out/tag-outs, and safe zone definitions, whether physical or software-enforced.
Learn More
For FANUC’s own descriptions of DCS, including configuration and controller features, see FANUC’s product pages and software function listings. fanucamerica
