Imagine what could happen if a machine operator switches off a process but then accidently enters the area of operation without checking if all the machinery has come to a complete standstill. Even the slightest movement of say, rotating saw blades could cause serious injury.

To mitigate such an event happening, the industrial safety device company Bernstein has released a new generation of safe mechanical guard locking switches. The SLC guard locking safety switch is an interlocking device which combines two safety products in one, namely, the safe monitoring of the door position and the safe monitoring of the guard lock. This ensures that safety guards, doors and other covers remain closed as long as a dangerous condition persists.

“The SLC is a cost-effective and user-friendly development from Bernstein,” explains Karin Visser, managing director of sole importer Anglo Allied Engineering. “During development, it was important to reduce the functions to the essentials and to consider the primary requirements of the customers.”

Thus, for example, mechanically highly stressed components – such as the rotating head – are made of metal. This makes it extremely robust and durable. The plastic housing, on the other hand, is light and functional. A variant with M12 plug connector allows a particularly simple connection to the machine. Another user-friendly feature is the possibility of flexible contact assembly: The contact combination of NC and NO for monitoring the door position and the guard locking can be freely combined at the factory. The specific requirements of customers can be configured individually. Should it be necessary to open the guard locking when the machine is switched off – e.g., for maintenance work – the SLC is equipped with an auxiliary release as standard, which can be operated with an Allen key.

Contact Anglo Allied Engineering, info@angloallied.co.za , www.angloallied.co.za