Machine Guards

About Machine Guards and Machine Guard Manufacturers Including: Drill Press Guards, Light Curtains, Machine Guard Fencing, Machine Guarding, Press Safety & Safety Guards.

Machine guards are safety devices that prevent machine operators from having body parts or other loose objects in the danger zone during the operation of a machine. They are used at the point of operation, on the power transmission apparatus and on any other moving parts. Machine guard manufacturers insure that a number of different safety measures are performed by the machine guards. Properly working safety guards should not allow a worker to get near the moving parts of a machine while they are in operation, and they should block any objects that might fall in. They should also be secured to the machine and not easily avoided or removed.

Machine guard manufacturers produce safety guards that are made of several different materials. However, metal is usually the best option. They can come in different forms, such as pipe, bar, wire mesh or sheet metal. In situations where visibility is needed, plastic or glass is used by machine guard manufacturers. If corrosion of materials is a possibility, wood guards may be a better choice. Some different types are light curtains, barrier guards or two-handed control guards. In place of machine guards, different aids can be used. Awareness barriers call attention to the danger zone, but do not physically prevent the operator from entering it. The operator would simply have to walk under or over the barrier. Another alternative is to use a push stick or block. These can be used to move stock into or out of the point of operation, giving a few more inches of safety to the operator.

Almost all machines need safety guards. Any type of machine that shears or impacts, has meshing gears, rotating parts, reciprocating arms, cutting teeth or moving belts has the potential to be hazardous and should have machine guards. They are crucial to these types of machines in order to prevent crushed fingers or hands, blindness, or worse. More and more often, machines come with guards, but some machines need to be analyzed before the proper user-built guard can be installed on the point of operation. Robots also need proper machine guarding. Interlocked gates are the most common method, but when using these, caution must be taken so that the primary control circuit is not disrupted by the activation of the interlocking.

Recently, more attention is being paid to the ergonomic factor of machine guards. Effectively integrated safety guards can help to prevent worker stress and fatigue. Another new idea is to integrate the safety of a machine into the control system so that both become one single unit. This helps to save on costs in three areas: installation, materials needed and design. Though they are a good idea, these systems are still being developed.

Machine Guards and Machine Guard Manufacturers Images Provided by Gordon Engineering Corp.

Machine Guards and Machine Guard Manufacturers Images Provided by 360 Guarding Inc.

Types of Machine Guards

• Adjustable guards are able to work with many different applications, and can fit with almost any size of stock.
  
• Drill press guards are machine guards that protect the hands and eyes of operators from cutting tools and hot liquids that may splash.
• Electromechanical sensors have a probe or contact bar that moves a predetermined distance as the operator starts the machine, and if there is something blocking the bar, the machine will not begin.
  
• Fixed guards permanently attach to the machines, and they do not depend on moving parts to function. Fixed machine guards can be made out of plastic, bars, sheet metal, screen or wire cloth.
  
• Gate barriers are used to protect the operator at the point of operation. If the gate is not in place, the machine will not begin its cycle.
  
• Interlocked guards automatically stop the parts of the machine that are moving when they are removed, not allowing workers to enter the problem area. Interlocked safety guards provide maximum protection.
  
• Light curtains are a type of photoelectric device that will continue to stop the machine's cycle if a component of the device itself is not working.
  
• Machine guard fencing is a machine enclosure that acts as a physical barrier between the operator and potentially dangerous machinery.
• Machine guarding protects workers from preventable injuries caused by moving parts in industrial settings.
• Photoelectric sensing devices use light fields to stop a machine's activity if the field is disrupted.
  
• Press safety refers to the area of manufacturing that deals with protecting workers from bodily damage caused by industrial presses.
• Radiofrequency devices use radio beams to interrupt or prevent the machine from starting.
  
• Safety guards are protective barriers that protect industrial workers.
• Self-adjusting guards only allow a particular size of stock to go into the machine before they come back into place to separate the operator from the danger zone.
  
• Two-hand control guards require the operator's hands to be safely located on the controls while the machine is running. Once the pressure from the hands is released, the machine will stop.
  
• User-built guards are made by the user of the machine and are necessary because not all machines come with machine guards already attached.

Machinery Guarding Terms

Belts - Moving parts of machine such as transmission belts, flat belts, V-belts or round belts.

Brake - Stops and holds the crankshaft on a mechanical press when the clutch is disengaged.

Danger Zone - The part of machine where action is taking place that could potentially injure the operator.

Device - An attachment to a press that can either stop the press from operating if the worker's hands are near the point of operation, or prevent the operator of the machine from reaching into the point of operation.

Enclosures - Mounted barriers preventing access to machine parts or equipment that is in motion.

Guard - Barrier that restricts entry of any body part or object into the point of operation.

Hand Feeding Tool - Hand held tool used to place or remove material being processed within or from the point of operation.

Mill - Machine with two metal, horizontal rolls revolving in opposite directions.

Nip Points - Caused by rotating parts that are either touching or close to each other. Nip points may cause injury if something is caught in them and the machine does not stop.

Point of Operation - The area where work is performed on a machine.

Power Transmission Apparatus - Mechanical system parts transmitting energy to the section of the machine performing work.
Components may include cams, gears, pulleys, connecting rods, coupling belts, flywheels, chains, cranks and spindles.

Press - Mechanically powered machine built to shear, punch, form or assemble material by means of shaping, cutting or using various dies attached to slides.