Safeguards

While workplace safety is a concern in all environments, it is something that definitely cannot be ignored in the manufacturing industry. When looking at automated systems for your manufacturing business, you want to be assured your machines are built with safety in mind. All Koops machines are designed and built with safeguards and safety mechanisms. These safety mechanisms are designed into each machine in order to keep employees safe from all hazards. Here are just a few of the safety features that can be built into our machines.

• Hard Guarding: Perimeter guarding that can be anything from wire mesh to lexan panels that surround a machine and keep operators away from hazards. This also includes sheet metal guarding mounted to the machine to prevent operators from reaching into hazardous areas.
• Light Curtains: These are typically placed on the front of machines where an operator loads parts into the machine fixture. Once the part is placed correctly, the operator then steps back out of the machine, past the light curtains to swipe the opto that starts the machine. If the operator would break the light curtain as the machine is in motion, the machine would immediately stop to prevent injury.
• Safety Laser Scanners: Specialized area scanners are placed on the floor of the machine to detect when an operator steps into a hazard zone. Scanners can display warnings when too in a boundary zone and stop machine motion when entering a hazardous area to prevent injury. Scanners are used in specialized applications and help to reduce the requirements for hard guarding, flexibility, and quick machine setup.
• Door/Gate Switch: Some machines have access doors or gates in the hard guarding for allowing routine maintenance access. These typically open to areas of the machine with the majority of the machine motion (robots, servos, cylinders, etc.)  The switches that we put in place will immediately stop the machine once contacts have been broken (by opening a door) to prevent injury.
• Safety Mats – Pressure sensitive mats can be placed on the floor by the machine. If an operator steps on the mat, the machine will immediately stop all motion. These mats are used to keep operators from potential hazards.

Manufacturing doesn’t have to be a dangerous industry. At Koops, machine and employee safety is very important to us. We will not compromise our integrity and will always take all the necessary measures to ensure safeguards are built into every machine we build. Contact us today to learn more about us and our capabilities.