Robots Are Outpacing Plant Access Rules
Robots Are Outpacing Plant Access Rules
As industrial robot installations surge globally, plant access rules remain outdated. Experts recommend shifting from fixed location-based permissions to dynamic controls tied to cell modes (run, maintenance, changeover), current training qualifications, and lockout status. The analysis highlights the convergence of IT and OT security risks and proposes practical steps for integrating EHS, IT, and maintenance teams to manage evolving access needs in smart manufacturing environments.
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The article argues that industrial access control must evolve from static floor plans to dynamic permissions based on cell mode, training status, and lockout records to address security gaps created by increasing automation.
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Publisher-reported claims, with original evidence. These results have not been independently verified by RoboSignal.
Reported numbers
robots installed worldwide in 2025
>600,000 robots
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Sean Toohey, Freelance Journalist and Digital Media Specialist, Freelance Journalist November 5, 2026 4 Min Read Experts say linking entry permissions to training, lockout status, and cell mode can close new security gaps. Getty Images Plastics processors keep adding robots, cobots, and connected machines. According to the International Federation of Robotics , more than 600,000 industrial robots were installed world
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Sean Toohey, Freelance Journalist and Digital Media Specialist, Freelance Journalist November 5, 2026 4 Min Read Experts say linking entry permissions to training, lockout status, and cell mode can close new security gaps. Getty Images Plastics processors keep adding robots, cobots, and connected machines. According to the International Federation of Robotics , more than 600,000 industrial robots were installed world
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wide in 2025, with US installations rising 12% to almost 38,500 units. Yet in many plants, access control is still designed around fixed, human-focused rules. As automation changes how the molding floor works, those rules need to change, too. Automation keeps moving the boundaries In a traditional plant, a restricted area is a physical location. In a smart plant, it's closer to a state. When a robot cell is reconfigu
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yoff from automation Plants are investing heavily in becoming smarter. In the Deloitte survey mentioned earlier, researchers found that 78% of manufacturers put more than 20% of their improvement budgets into smart manufacturing; as integrators report rising demand for automation, more processors will soon be reconfiguring their floors. Access planning belongs in that work from the start. When the rules for who goes
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l systems, noting a rise in hacking attempts targeting robot controllers and cloud platforms. To manufacturers, the link is already clear. In Deloitte's 2025 Smart Manufacturing Survey of 600 executives, 55% strongly agreed that unauthorized access is a high operational technology concern. A person standing at a human-machine interface, a teach pendant, or an open network closet has a level of access that no firewall
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Source：Industrial robotics — News discovery · plasticstoday.com