The recent flurry of activity relating to machinery safety has been countered by low-level complaints that machinery is now generally very safe, so the authorities should instead be concentrating on reducing the higher numbers of deaths and injuries occurring elsewhere.

Even if new machinery is safe inasmuch as it complies with the current standards, what about older machines? The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) in the UK - and similar legislation elsewhere - should ensure that all workplace equipment is 'safe' but contrast this with the world of amateur model engineering, where machines are bought and sold second-hand, sometimes with minimal safety equipment and no control over the way in which the machinery is installed, operated and maintained. In some cases everything is done properly, and often there are no accidents, but this is not always so. The point here is that perceptions change: twenty years ago reliance on operator training was acceptable, yet today we aim to provide protection against both stupidity and lapses in concentration. What might be viewed now as only a small risk could become unacceptable in the future.

So when designing new machinery or upgrading existing equipment, do not look upon safety as an overhead but as a way to reduce design time, improve diagnostics and cut downtime. To pursue this idea further, start with these articles from Pilz and Procter Machine Guarding. And you can expect to see more on this subject in 2010. Several companies had been preparing to promote sophisticated safety-related controls on the basis of EN 954-1 being withdrawn and replaced by EN ISO 13849-1. However, the two-year extension to the transition period means that plans are being revised; rather than 'standards compliance' the message is likely to be 'reduce build time and increase availability.'

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Pancake motors are a realistic alternative to conventional motors
These new GSR 'pancake' motors are priced to be competitive against conventional motors, yet they are also slimmer than their predecessors. More?

Micro drives for machinery are easy to use
Vacon 10 Machinery drives are offered with a choice of three standard APIs or custom versions can be developed for specialist applications. More?

Lightweight parallel kinematic robot features 6kg payload
Fanuc Robotics' compact M-3iA robot is available in four- and six-axis configurations, plus there are versions for food industry applications. More?

Kollmorgen AKD Ethernet-compatible servo drives
These high-specification servo drives benefit from multiple Ethernet connectivity and a wide choice of fieldbus options. More?

Stepper motors can be used as brushless servos
AccuStep technology prevents stepper motors from losing synchronisation, which makes them a cost-effective alternative to servos in many applications. More?

EVENTS

Machine Building & Automation 2010 - selected highlights
To give you a taste of what will be exhibited at this year's event, take a look at this announcement that describes several very different products. More?

Register now for Drives and Controls 2010 seminars
The website for June's Drives & Controls event is now live, so you can register to attend the seminars taking place at this and the co-located shows. More?

SPONSORED ANNOUNCEMENTS

Plasma system pretreats 2D and 3D surfaces
Megatech is offering a new affordable, versatile yet high-quality atmospheric pressure plasma system for surface treatment and deposition. More?

University Certificate in Machinery Safety
Laidler Associates has published the 2010 course schedule for the University Certificate in Machinery Safety that it organises. More?

Compressors achieve 100% recovery of input energy
Atlas Copco's Carbon Zero compressors recover 100 per cent of the electrical energy input in the form of water at 90degC, resulting in lower running costs. More?

Machinery safety training courses 2010 - new booklet
The latest training booklet and schedule from Pilz includes new course material relating to the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and EN ISO 13849-1. More?

Training course: pneumatics and the new Machinery Directive
Festo has developed a one-day orientation course for machine builders struggling to interpret the requirements of the new Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. More?

FEATURED PHOTO

Packaging machine remains jam-free with odd-shaped jars
Linkx Systems has supplied a packaging line that reliably handles oval and other non-standard jars without jamming. More?

DAILY DILBERT

Is this the end of the Pointy-Haired Boss?
In this week's cartoons Dilbert's manager becomes a fugitive in his own office. Find out how, then follow the story as it develops each day. More?

Jonathan Severn
Editor

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