Warning tapes and stickers in all their glory, but more is required to create a safe working environment. Guarding systems and walls provide effective protection. They are often built with different types of aluminium profiles with panels mounted in between. There are many materials and components to choose from to create the solution that suits your application.
Stable and flexible frame
Most often, the frame of machine guarding consists of aluminium profiles. There are profile types with different levels of material quantity in the cross section. The sturdier profiles are suitable for machine stands, while light profiles are quite sufficient for guarding. If you want wipeable and easy-to-clean surfaces, which is common in the medical and food industries, you can choose closed profiles that provide completely smooth surfaces without slots. One of the great advantages of aluminium guarding, apart from being naturally rust and maintenance free, is that they are flexible and easy to install and complement. They can be delivered in sections and assembled and adjusted on site in the factory. The construction can be easily and securely anchored to the floor with various types of feet or fasteners.
Material selection
Different types of panels, mesh or sheet metal are mounted in the frame. Mesh provides good air circulation, which is an advantage if the process inside the guarding generates heat. Full-cover panels are often made of polycarbonate and are usually transparent so you can see what is going on inside. Of course, you need to consider the application´s requirements and not, for example, choose materials that easily splinter or break if they are subjected to bangs and impacts. Polycarbonate generally has high impact strength and can withstand relatively high temperatures. There are special varieties of polycarbonate that also have excellent resistance to abrasion as well as resistance to UV radiation and most chemicals. If the application does not have special demands on the material, there are alternatives that are recyclable and very environmentally friendly. Sometimes a mix of different materials can be the best solution to meet all requirements.
Easy and smooth access
In all guarding frames or walls, you can place doors, gates or hatches. For safety reasons, all openable parts often must be guarded with switches or similar. Sometimes, it may however be necessary to get inside guarding without the power being interrupted or the alarm going off. In some cases, you may have very large barriers where you rarely need access. Then you might not want to install doors because that means you also need locks, hinges, cables, etc. Instead, a type of hanger can be used when mounting the frame. This enables the panel to be loosened with an Allen key and thus detached if necessary.
Noise reduction
Guarding can also be used as noise protection if sound-absorbing panels are installed in the frames. Sound-absorbing panels provide better noise levels and acoustics. This type of wall is also perfect for office environments. As the sound dampening panel is made of textile, it is not always suitable for industrial applications. However, it is possible to use them in certain sections of the shielding to dampen noise, hissing sounds, bangs, etc.
