Area and Gate Guarding on Automotive Assembly Line
Application: Gate monitoring in a hazardous area
Challenges: Opening of the gate must stop a moving conveyor
Solution: Hinge style interlock switch and SGS series safety grid system with integral muting
Benefits: Integral hinge will stop conveyor once the gate is opened and the grid is muted
Large factory automation facilities, such as automotive assembly, feature a wide range of machinery that has the potential to harm employees and proper safety measures are essential. As cars and other vehicles are assembled, they move further along a conveyor system, surrounded by automated heavy machinery and robotics. Personnel need to be protected from the vehicles and operating equipment to prevent injury. Often times several safety systems are used simultaneously to prevent works from entering hazardous areas.
Grid Muting and Gate Monitoring During Automotive Assembly
A car travels along a conveyor into a hazardous area guarded by the SGS series safety grid system. As the car approaches, the SGS grid is temporarily muted to allow the car to pass without stopping the conveyor. While the grid is muted, there is the risk that a worker will attempt to enter the hazardous area through the interlocked breakaway guard, putting the worker in a dangerous situation and presenting the possibility that the worker will be struck by the moving car.
This risk is mitigated by using a hinged interlocking switch to protect the interlocked breakaway guard. If a worker attempts to open the breakaway guard while the SGS safety grid is muted, the integral hinge will stop the conveyor. The light grid system is made of heavy-duty aluminum housing for tough environments and has a range up to 60 m for premier guarding applications.