Posted to News on 27th Feb 2020, 16:37
Free white paper: strength of machine guarding
Fortress Interlocks has published a new white paper that is available free of charge from its website, How to Select Aspects of Machine Guarding - Strength of the Guarding System.
While presence-sensing technologies offer advantages for guarding machinery, physical guards can help to minimise a machine's footprint and protect personnel from hazards such as ejected materials - which presence-sensing guards cannot. Fortress Interlocks' new white paper discusses physical guarding in the context of the key international standard in this field, ISO 14120:2015 (Safety of machinery. Guards. General requirements for the design and construction of fixed and movable guards).
In particular, the white paper discusses the different types of guarding:
- fixed
- movable
- adjustable
- interlocking
- interlocking with guard locking
- interlocking with start function
An often overlooked topic that is addressed in the white paper is that of impact resistance. This is because guards need to protect personnel from projectiles, but also the guards should resist accidental damage from the outside, such as from fork lift trucks; guarding that has sustained foreseeable damage should still provide protection.
The white paper goes on to explain that ISO 14120 has two annexes that provide methodologies for projectile and pendulum tests so guard manufactures and, if necessary, guard users can verify that guards will withstand impacts. Furthermore, if a guard is interlocked, it is vital that the interlock is not the weak point that fails under an impact test.
Follow the link for your free copy of How to Select Aspects of Machine Guarding - Strength of the Guarding System.
