How to guard machinery and improve production cycle performance
When strict control of production cycles is necessary to prevent defective parts, the analysis of the production process must be combined with risk analysis to define the most efficient perimeter protection plan and ensure maximum safety with minimal impact on the work cycle.
The perimeter protection systems developed by Accessafe in accordance with the EN 13849-1 standard eliminate defective parts generated in the event of an emergency shutdown.
The production of mechanical components for automotive is one of the eccellence sector of the Italian industry and Is one of the most sensible to the safety theme which are in continuous evolution. We want to take into consideration the aspects correlated to the piston rods production which requires the maximal geometrical precision and the obsessive control of the production cycles. In order to obtain these results there must be a workplace which Standardize itself for cleanness and process safety.
According to the technical praxis on the safety subject “the more the implant is complex, the faster are the response times, the more the safety must be focused on the machinery perimeter”, which remain free to produce without interference but at the same time in consent the staff to closely check the productive process.
In the case of the perimeter protection system, Accessafe had to take these specific requirements into account, designing the guards with maximum transparency and incorporating practical systems for transporting parts and scrap.
The system consists of several workstations that follow one another in the forming and finishing cycle and are assisted by a robotic manipulator for loading the parts, traveling along a 25-meter-long track, while the unloading of finished parts and scrap takes place at the rear, via the movement of baskets into which small conveyor belts feed.
Within the broader framework of the Machinery Directive 42/2006, safety distances were defined to prevent upper limbs from reaching hazardous areas—UNI 13857: 2008. Consequently, as the most imminent hazard, we measured the reach of the Cartesian robot and, based on this, established the formula for determining the minimum height and distance of the guards.
The installed guard panels comply with the standards regarding the General Requirements for the Design and Construction of Fixed and Movable Guards—UNI EN 953; 2009—thanks to the use of the CE-certified Meta fastening system.
The access points were designed with production requirements in mind—specifically, to delay the opening of the doors after an entry request to ensure that the current production cycle is completed and to prevent damage to the parts being produced, by configuring the switches to the highest safety level achievable according to EN 13849, opting for a series of Euchner TP1 sensors with safety relays and fault exclusion management in PLD mode, featuring a solenoid for electromagnetic retention of the actuator until the opening command is received from the machine’s PLC.
Once installation was complete and the functionality of the switches and controls had been tested, Accessafe issued the CE certification for the perimeter protection safety component associated with the machine, which was then integrated into the daily production cycle, resolving the issue of defective parts that were generated every time an emergency shutdown occurred.
Features of the installed product:
- PENTA series modular panels with 20×100 mesh infill (3 mm wire). T20 panel frame, black (RAL 9005), height 1900
- Patented 60×60-section posts in accordance with the new Machinery Directive 42/2006, yellow (RAL 018), 2020
- Access points with Euchner TP1 positively actuated electromagnetic interlocks featuring a dual-channel contact and a solenoid.
