China Robot Visits: Ask for a Recovery Demonstration
Cycle time describes the normal robot run. A supervised recovery walkthrough reveals the permissions, people and restart checks that keep the cell usable.
Direct answer. Request a host-controlled recovery walkthrough, not an improvised fault injection. Observe who can diagnose a stopped cell, who authorizes restart and how the product state is checked before work resumes.
Set the safety boundary first
During a China robot company visit, visitors should not touch controls, bypass guards or create physical obstacles. Ask whether the host has a training cell, recorded incident or offline simulator suitable for discussion. The site's authorized safety personnel determine what can be demonstrated. This article is an executive evidence guide, not machinery safety certification or operating instruction.
Pick a documented non-hazardous scenario such as a failed pickup represented in simulation. Ask the presenter to identify the moment the controller recognizes the problem. Then distinguish the equipment stop from the business decision about unfinished work. A stopped robot may be safe while the production record remains wrong.
Follow the restart evidence
| Question | Useful record | Limit to note |
|---|---|---|
| Who detected the fault? | Event log and classification | A simulated trigger is not field detection evidence |
| Who investigated it? | Operator or maintenance assignment | Presenter knowledge may exceed ordinary staffing |
| Who permitted restart? | Authorized procedure and sign-off | A verbal explanation is not an observed control |
| What happened to the part? | Quarantine, rework or resume disposition | Recovery must reconcile the workpiece |
Pay attention to remote support. If a vendor engineer guides every restart, include that dependency in the deployment discussion. Ask about support availability, required access and what the customer can do while disconnected. Do not translate one quick recovery into an uptime claim.
NIST AI RMF Core provides a voluntary basis for examining safe failure and disengagement. It does not replace the applicable machinery standards, a local risk assessment or qualified engineering review. The table above is our proposed visit record.
Decide what remains unproven
A defensible note separates three statements: the demonstrated recovery path worked; the host described additional procedures; and performance during actual shift operations remains unverified. Request anonymized recovery-time distributions and unresolved faults before making economic assumptions.
Use the robotics executive questions for the broader agenda. When briefing your immersion, include maintenance and operations colleagues who will own recovery after the supplier leaves.