Machine protection doors are found in many areas of industrial production – they are required to meet stringent safety requirements. But while they primarily protect personnel from accidental injury during the production process, they can also guarantee a fault-free and reliable production process.
The automotive industry is torn between low-cost production, efficiency and safety. Safety requirements and the production demands put upon them differ at every step of the production line, from the pressing plant to bodywork shell construction to assembly lines.
To better understand the role of machine protection doors we took a look at how they balance the demands of production with safety in the automotive industry:
Integrated operations
Machine protection door controls are often integrated into the process that goes on behind the door. This ensures that there is no unintentional start-up of robots. When the machine protection door is closed the robots working behind them can weld, or cut, but when the door is open, the robots cannot work. This not only protects workers from accidental damage, it also ensures that the processes are clear of disruption and safe from any potential damage.
Specified features
Machine protection doors are space savers – due to their durable build less safety clearance is required between robots and workers compared to lighter, fabric curtains. This also means that processes are more efficient as proximity saves time.
They can also be fitted with features that are suitable for the machines and people they protect. Viewing windows are optional to allow for safe monitoring of the production process. And for steps in the production process where there is high pressure or the use of lasers the doors can be fitted aluminum ribs for additional protection. These optional features mean that at every stage a machine protection door offers optimal protection.
Efficient opening and closing
Machine protection doors can be optimized for short opening and closing cycles. The cycle times support efficient processes and minimize the risk of injury to personnel. They are also suitable for continuous operation – being hardwearing and having a long life. For production processes where work is suspended from above there are also doors which close from the bottom upwards.
Gandhi Automation’s Prime Machine Protection Door are high speed doors that protect men and material from accessing in-motion automatic machines area. This door is especially developed for robotic or automatic machine areas and can be installed besides safety barricades or walls. Prime Machine Protection Door improves automation by isolating the area meeting high industry standards and reducing accidents. A durable and robust structure is designed to last in an industrial environment.