ProSafe machine guarding
Machine protection with a system

The safety guards for machines are classified differently depending on their use.

• By use into movable and fixed safety guards,
• By material into steel or aluminum safety guards,
• According to function into barrier and safety light curtains.

At the same time, there are certain requirements for machine safety guards or safety guard systems. They must fit the dimensions of the machine and, if necessary, ensure easy access to it with the aid of doors. Their stability must be able to withstand the forces that are likely to result from falling parts in the machine hall or from machine parts being ejected. Their design and the distance to the machine must prevent accidental penetration by the operator (DIN EN ISO 13857).

Compliance with the applicable standards and safety regulations is monitored by recognized expert organizations such as TÜV. In German companies, a safety specialist must be appointed to monitor compliance with the standards. Safety fences in production facilities are comprehensively planned. They must be able to withstand a wide range of accident scenarios.

For effective accident and personal protection, machine guarding and safety fence systems are used wherever machines or vehicles move. For the most part, systems with protective grating can be found in warehouses and logistics centers. In addition, protective grilles are used where moving parts cause hazards, even if they themselves are permanently installed. The safety gate systems are often only one part of the overall safety concept, which also includes prohibition signs and, increasingly often, light barriers. The latter cause an emergency shutdown of the machine if an operator gets too close. However, this measure does not protect against an accident caused by parts falling into the machine or parts being ejected from the machine. For this reason, machine guards or safety fence systems remain indispensable.

Their use is necessary at these points, among others:

• Conveyor belts
• Room dividers for warehouses
• Turbine halls
• Operator cabins (e.g. for cranes)
• Enclosures for production lines
• Room dividers for industry
• Protective grilles on logistics vehicles
• etc.
  

The protective grilles are made of metal profiles, which enables their modular design. They also have doors with tamper-proof suspensions. They can be installed as stationary or mobile units. In their variants, they can be assembled and dismantled by a single person. The mesh widths can vary. A common size is 20 x 100 mm with 3.0 mm wire thickness. The standard finish should be deep black, but other colors are often used.
Our standard color is RAL 9005 deep black, as recommended in the Machinery Directive.
We also have framed and frameless elements in our range.
A practical example would be the protective grille around a turbine in a power station.

This rotates at 3,000 rpm during normal operation, resulting in very high forces. However, the danger is less during normal operation than during start-up after a general overhaul (or during initial commissioning), namely when running through the critical speeds (several ranges below 3,000 rpm). It is true that the turbine has a fixed housing that nobody can reach into and that is also intended to prevent turbine blades from being ejected. However, if the turbine does not pass through a range of critical speeds quickly enough when starting up, an imbalance occurs which can lead to a turbine blade or wheel coming loose and the part being thrown out with a force that even the housing could not withstand. In this case, the next barrier would be the machine guard or an appropriate guard system.