Context

In a report prepared by US Bureau of Labor Statistics in collaboration with OSHA, towards end of 2019, there were nearly 2.8 Million non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported. Out of these nearly 450 K were reported by various manufacturing industries.

In this context and continuing with the theme (read previous article on 7 principles of automation equipment design), this article elaborates more on the safety principles and taking a case study as a reference.

Introduction

APA Engineering recommends that every automation assembly line, automation equipment, work cell, workstation, and fixture should be designed to meet safety guidelines provided both by customers and regulations such as OSHA, OHSAS, etc.

Safeguarding devices typically help prevent operator contact with the point of operation. They may be used in place of guards or as a supplemental control when guarding alone does not adequately enclose the hazard.

Case Study Reference

For a reputable line builder in North America, APA Engineering helped in designing an automatic workstation to insert aluminum nameplate, bend its tabs and insert plastic tread into the rear door sill plate of a SUV. Read that case study here.

In this design, APA’s engineers incorporated light curtains, shot pin cylinders, rod lock cylinders, and emergency stop as safety features in this workstation.

These devices offer many of the following features / benefits

●  interrupt the normal cycle of the machine if the operator's hands are at the point of operation

●  prevent the operator from reaching into the point of operation

●  withdraw the operator's hands if they are located in or near the point of operation when the machine cycles

Conclusion

World wide, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the economy and manufacturing sectors are badly hit by production down time and fall in demand. Therefore, any safety measures that prevent further loss in productivity must be taken to maintain the health of the industry and best principles followed without exception.

For more such case studies, please visit our case study repository here.