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Wood is a popular natural material, both in carpentry and in architecture. The processing methods "from forest to furniture" are manifold. They include debarking and sawing as well as miscellaneous surface treatments, furniture assembly and strand board production methods. Most of these methods and processes have a common feature, i.e. they entail hazards and risks for the operators.

In ancient times, sawmills were a downright synonym to high injury-risk workplaces. This situation meanwhile has changed - not in the least as a result of the ever stringent regulations with regard to machine safety and the higher level of automation.

High availability

Wood-processing and wood-working machinery usually runs non-stop and often in a 24/7 cycle. Interruptions thereby are very unwanted. Safety switchgear from Schmersal is geared to these conditions. They are characterised by longevity, even under rough operating conditions similar to those prevailing in sawmills and chipping plants and they were designed and developed with the objective to minimise or even avoid interruptions of the production process.

An example: safety sensors, safety switches and solenoid interlocks equipped with the Schmersal-patented CSS technology detect the slightest misalignment of the guard door and transmit a corresponding message to the control or the master display. The user then can realign the guard door before it becomes misaligned to such an extent that for instance the safety sensor no longer responds to the actuator, thus preventing the start-up of the machine

Long service life, even in heavy-duty conditions

A number of switchgear series from Schmersal are true specialists for the heavy-duty conditions prevailing in wood-processing and the wood-working industry. These series include for instance safety mats, robust position switches and pull-wire emergency stop switches, which enable a very fast activation of the emergency stop function on conveyor plants and large wood-processing machinery. The safety mats of the SMS series are often used to protect areas and the safety switching covers of the SL 300 series from Schmersal are tactile safety guards, which were originally developped for a customer who was active in the forestry industry and then included in the entire product programme.

Pollution by wood chips and dust excluded

Wherever it should be avoided that the function of safety switchgear is affected by wood chips or dust, non-contact safety sensors, whose switch and actuator have smooth surfaces, or optoelectronic safety guards are used.

Information provides for transparency

In complex plants, the communication between individual components is highly important. The Schmersal Group therefore offers a Diagnostic Gateway, for instance for the CSS series, for the transmission of non-safety-related, diagnostic-information through default bus protocols. This provides for enhanced availability and quick troubleshooting in the case of a failure.

The use of the "AS Interface Safety at Work" standard is also useful for the transmission of safety-related signals. Here, the user benefits from considerably reduced installation efforts and overheads as well as enhanced diagnostic possibilities - features, which are applauded within wood-processing machinery construction. The Schmersal Group therefore offers a comprehensive programme of safety switchgear with integrated AS-i Safety interface.

Dust-explosion protection

When mixed with a certain volume of air, wood dust is explosive. The Schmersal Group offers a comprehensive programme of explosionproof switchgear for automation and machine safety, which is tested and certified to the ATEX and IECEx Directives. These switchgear provide for a double safety: they ensure the safety of the machine on the one hand and cannot become a source of ignition themselves on the other hand.

Services

Machine safety is a complex theme. The Schmersal Group offers its customers comprehensive support for the implementation of standards and guidelines in high-productive machinery and plants. The service portfolio includes, amongst other things, seminars in the Wuppertal tec.nicum training centre as well as individual consultancy for machine builders and safety engineers by certified Safety Consultants in more than 20 countries.

Products

• Safety switches with separate actuators are suitable for sliding, hinged and particularly removable safety guards, which need to be closed to ensure the necessary operational security. They are also suitable for fitting on profile sections and existing equipment.
  
  
• Up to 4 safety contacts
• Metal and thermoplastic enclosure
• Long life
• With multiple or individual coding
• A wide range of accessories is available
• Versions with connector and cable

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Solenoid interlocks

• Solenoid interlocks, operating in combination with control elements of a machine, e.g. fail-safe standstill monitors or fail-safe delay timers, ensure that sliding, hinged and removable guarding devices, such as grids, hoods or doors, cannot be opened until hazardous conditions (e.g. running-down movements) have come to an end.
  
  
• Holding force of 500 - 3500 N
• Up to 5 safety contacts
• Metal and thermoplastic enclosure
• Long life
• Optionally with individual coding
• Non-contact solenoid interlocks
• A wide range of accessories is available
• Versions with connector and cable

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Position Switches

• Position switches with safety function can be used for various positioning tasks of packages and conveyed material as well as linear axes and conveyor belts. The position monitoring of safety guards is another popular field of application for these switches. Due to their standardised mounting dimensions, this switchgear is universally applicable. Different actuating elements are available for an optimal adjustment of the individual series to the specific application.
  
  
• Metal- and thermoplastic enclosure
• Mounting according to EN 50047 oder 50041
• Wide range of actuating elements
• Connector or cable entree

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Hinge safety switch

• Here, the safety-related monitoring function is integrated in the switch. In this way, small guards and service doors, e.g. of automatic conveying systems, as well as heavy hinged door on large wood-processing machines can be (depending on the series used) protected as to provide for easy fitting and maintenance as well as compliance with the standards.
  
  
• Plastic and metal enclosure
• Suitable for standard profile systems
• Positive linkage without cam
• Additional hinges and universal joints to simplify fitting

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Electronic and magnetic safety sensors

• The use of safety sensors is of particular advantage, in cases where extremely dirty conditions can occur. The wear-free operating principle, which avoids the use of mechanical actuating elements, enables a hardwearing and easy-to-clean design of these safety components.
  
  
• Plastic and stainless steel enclosure
• Many coding options
• Comprehensive additional functions through RFID technology
• With integrated logic circuit for monitoring and evaluation
• Protection class up to IP69K
• Insensitive to transverse misalignment
• Insensitive to soiling

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Optoelectronic safety devices

• Optoelectronic safety devices such as safety light barriers, safety light grids and safety light curtains are used to protect access to hazardous points or hazardous areas. Compared to the separating safety guards, they provide for an enhanced flexibility.
  
  
• Type 2 and type 4 safety light grids and curtains to IEC/EN 61496-1, -2
• - Range 0.3 - 40 m
  - Protection class up to IP69K
  - Optionally with muting and blanking functions
• Safety light barriers
• range 4 - 15 m
  
  

Safety light grids and curtains Safety light barriers

Control devices and indicator lights

• At the man-machine interface of packaging machinery, command devices and indicator lights keep the operator informed about the operating condition and take care of the communication with the machine. The Schmersal Group has a comprehensive portfolio of command devices, which have been developped especially for industrial applications.
  
  
• Pull-wire emergency stop switches
• Two-hand control panels
• Enabling switches
• Tactile sensors
• Foot switches
• Spring-return/maintained joystick switches, pushbuttons, selectors and indicator lights

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Tactile safety switching systems

• Tactile monitoring systems stop the hazardous movement in case of contact or when touched. The variety of application fields requires constructively different safety systems. Large feed and insertion openings on machinery for instance place different requirements on the protection of the operating staff and the machine - here, the SL 300 safety flap is used - compared to surfaces, where the SMS safety mats are used.
  
  
• Safety edges
• Safety mats
• Safety bumpers
• Safety switching covers

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Explosion-Proof Safety Devices

• The comprehensive product portfolio of Schmersal takes the requirements of the ATEX Directives into account. Our collaborators consistently refine and develop the products on the basis of the currently applicable standards as well as the standards, which are under implementation. In the explosion-endangered areas, both the standard requirements and the safety technology are taken into consideration.
  
  
• Safety switches with separate actuator
• Solenoid interlocks
• Electronic and magnetic safety sensors
• Position Switches
• Pull-wire emergency stop switches
• Control devices and indicator lights
• Safety control modules

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SAFE SIGNAL PROCESSING

• Safety monitoring modules serve for the secure evalution of switching signals. The signals can emanate from mechnical position switches, safety switches, solenoid interlocks or safety sensors.
  
  
• Safety control modules
• Safety controllers
• Safety bus system
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Bildnachweise: 1) HOMAG Holzbearbeitungssysteme GmbH