Euchner (UK) Ltd

UK manufacturers are advised to ensure robust safety checks, as well as competency assessments for staff, are carried out, before restarting machinery safety that has been left idle due to lockdown restrictions or social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic, suggests Euchner, a specialist in safety engineering.

A new concept in safety engineering has been developed by Euchner which combines several elements of their equipment range into a single multi-featured safety device. Called the MGB (Multifunctional Gate Box) system, it incorporates a safety switch, bolt and door-locking mechanism into a cohesive package ideal for machine builders, safety engineers and process system designers.

The TP and STP range of safety switches manufactured by Euchner enable machine builders and both production and process engineers to ensure compliance of individual machines and production installations with the latest European Machinery Directive regarding ‘risk of being trapped in a machine (code 1.5.14)’. The new Directive (2006/42/EC) is due to become effective on 29th December 2009 and states ‘machinery must be designed, constructed or fitted with a means of preventing an exposed person from being enclosed within it or, if that is impossible, with a means of summoning help’.

New safety switches from Euchner feature compact, reinforced thermoplastic bodied designs, ideal for applications on very small machines, typically as used with packaging systems. Designated as the NQ and TQ series, these versatile products can fit in spaces where it would be impractical to install other guard locking solutions.

A new hard-backed book on safety engineering is available from Euchner, providing nearly 200 pages of useful information for process and production engineers covering the planning, development and construction of safety systems for machine based operations.

The new ZSM enabling switch from Euchner is more than just an ordinary manually operated enabling device. It features a modern, modular, lightweight and ergonomic design, which makes it eminently suitable for many different control and safety related functions.

The latest developments from the safety specialists Euchner include twin-headed switches designed for use with two adjacent machine access or cell enclosure guards. Previously, it would have been necessary to use two separate switches for this purpose, involving not only additional material costs, but also extra control circuitry and monitoring facilities.

Non-contact switching in series – the new CES-AR-C from Euchner makes it possible to monitor several safety guards at once. Up to 20 devices can be included in one switch chain.

The innovative EKS (Electronic Key System) supplied by Euchner, has been further developed to incorporate FSA (For Safety Applications). This ensures that all aspects of both safety and security can be accommodated, where access is required to machine functions or even complex production processing installations.