Posted to News on 27th Mar 2017, 09:44
Fortress Interlocks: protecting people and productivity
Fortress Interlocks has over 40 years of experience in the safety market, designing and manufacturing safety access and control systems from its headquarters in Wolverhampton in the UK. Its mission is simple: protecting people, protecting productivity. The company has provided the following background information for people who are not familiar with its products and services.
A world leader in industrial safety automation systems, Fortress Interlock's technology helps create safer workplaces where employees in industrial environment are safeguarded from injury, equipment is protected from damage, and productivity is enhanced. The company's products ensure that actions and events are undertaken in a pre-determined sequence, ensuring a safe working environment.
The company's products are suitable for an extremely wide range of industrial applications, including power generation and distribution, iron and steel, automotive manufacturing, food and beverage, recycling, building and construction, robotics and palletisers. Its extensive product offering and experience means Fortress can be used for a very wide variety of safeguarding applications. It also regularly provides bespoke products for unique applications, often by customising standard products.
Fortress is now developing networked versions of its products, utilising the AS-I, PROFIsafe and Ethernet/IP - CIP Safety protocols. This ensures the company's products not only meet but exceed what manufacturers now expect when it comes to industrial networking.
Fortress offers three types of product in its portfolio:
amGardpro
The ultimate range of modular safety gate switch interlocks for heavy-duty applications. Its unique modular construction allows easy configuration and provides total electromechanical safeguarding for practically any application up to SIL3 (EN/IEC 60261) Category 4, and PLe (EN ISO 13849-1). The amGardpro range (including the amGardnct non-contact switches) has TUV certification for Europe and North America. It now also has a proNET communications module, utilising the Profinet protocol and its extension PROFIsafe, and is also available utilising Ethernet/IP - CIP Safety.
mGard
mGard is the premier range of robust, modular trapped-key interlocks for heavy-duty applications. Trapped-key interlocking is a tried-and-tested method of mechanically safeguarding dangerous machines and processes, which works by trapping and releasing keys in a predetermined sequence. Once control or power has been isolated, a key is released that can then be use to gain access to individual or multiple doors. mGard is suitable up to SIL3 (EN/IEC 62061) Category 4, and PLe (EN ISO 13849-1). mGard also has TUV certification for Europe and North America.
tGard
tGard offers total integration of control and safety. The newest addition to Fortress Interlocks' product range, it is totally customisable as standard. Its innovative design enables customers to specify the required combination of safety gate switches, trapped-key interlocks and machine control stations. Elements are housed in a metal body, creating a simple and robust safety system. As with the amGardpro and mGard, tGard also has TUV certification for Europe and North America.
Based in Wolverhampton in the UK, Fortress has offices in the USA, Netherlands, China and Australia, with a large global distributor network. The company is a member of the Machinery Safety Alliance, together with Festo, Pilz Automation Technology and Troax. The Alliance is a non-profit organisation that aims to share its collective knowledge and expertise to help companies balance productivity with the need to comply with safety regulations.
Fortress Interlocks is a subsidiary of Halma plc, an international group of companies that make products for hazard detection, life protection, personal and public health improvement and environmental protection. Halma has nearly 50 businesses in 23 countries and major operations in Europe, the USA and Asia. It is a FTSE 250 company quoted on the London Stock Exchange.
Follow the link for more information about the products and services offered by Fortress Interlocks.
