Automated production lines assist in increasing the efficiency, productivity, and quality of manufacturing companies. Nonetheless, there can be significant hazards associated with the use of machines that have rotating parts, robots, conveyors, and cutting devices.
Guard door is such a safety measure used to prevent people from getting injured while working with machinery. Yet, it can only work when the machinery cannot run with an open door.
Solenoid interlocks from Schmersal can be very useful in such cases. They help regulate access to dangerous machine sections.
Importance Of Maintaining Guard Door Protection
In many industrial plants, it becomes necessary for workers to open the doors of machines for various purposes such as inspection, cleaning, loading materials, or maintenance.
When the machine is operating while the guard door is opened, there is a high chance that the worker will come across a dangerous movement. Even slight delays in shutting down the machine pose huge risks.
A Schmersal Safety Switch, with the solenoid locking feature, helps to avoid such a scenario by keeping the guard door closed while the machine is in an unsafe state of operation.
Working Of Solenoid Interlocks From Schmersal
Solenoid interlocks combine guarding of the door of a machine with locking.
If the machine is operational or there is danger due to movement, the interlock will ensure that the guard door is locked. Control system unlocks the lock only if all safety criteria have been met.
For instance, take a case of robotic cells where the robot can keep moving for some time even after the stop command is sent.
The solenoid interlock can be used to ensure that the door of access remains locked until it is confirmed that hazardous movement has ceased.
Thus, the risk of workers accessing the machine during this time is reduced.
Ensuring Safer Automation In Production
Most modern production lines use robots, CNC machinery, packaging equipment, and automated assembly equipment.
These machines might need frequent access, but the opening of a guard door must never be used to bypass the safety procedure.
Schmersal Safety Switches with solenoid locking will assist manufacturers in better control of access. They can be interfaced with safety relays, safety controllers, and machine controls, based on the product and application.
The system can also give useful information about the status, such as whether the door is closed, locked, or released.
This helps improve the communication between the machine, the operator, and the maintenance personnel.
Important Considerations In Selecting An Interlock
The right solenoid interlock will depend on the design of the machine as well as the risks that may arise from using the machine.
Manufacturers need to take into consideration the following aspects before opting for a certain product:
- Machine type and hazardous movement
- The amount of force needed to lock
- Door guard design and alignment
- Frequency of access
- Time taken to stop the machine
- Environmental factors like dust, oil, and vibration
- Safety performance level that is needed
- Existing control system integration
A machine risk assessment also needs to be carried out prior to selection and installation of a safety device.
Safety switches need to be selected depending on the safety function.
Shikhar Automation: Enabling Safe Machine Designing
Through Shikhar Automation, we assist in finding the appropriate safety products of Schmersal for machines and production lines that require automation.
This is done through our analysis of the layout of the machine, the points of entry, how it works, and the safety measures to be taken. We aid the manufacturer to select the most appropriate solutions that ensure the safety of the operator without compromising efficiency.
The correct choice of Schmersal Safety Switch could turn out to be a key component in your machine safety system.
Conclusion
Guard Doors play an indispensable role in ensuring machine safety, yet they need to be backed up by dependable safety technology.
The Schmersal solenoid interlocks enable to keep the dangerous parts of machines safe from intrusion until the time is ripe for access. These enable safer maintenance, restricted access for operators, and greater safety on automatic production lines.
For all companies looking to achieve greater safety and reliability through their machines, choosing a suitable guard door interlock is key.
Talk to us at Shikhar Automation about your machine safety needs and we will give you the most appropriate Schmersal Safety Switch solution.
