Axelent way to guard machinery

Earlier this year Concentric Engineered Solutions installed Axelent X-Guard modular safety distance guarding around a number of machines at a customer’s site in East Tamaki.

Initially the customer asked the firm to design some bespoke guarding for their machine. While undertaking this work Concentric Engineered Solutions came across the Axelent product. Its staff discussed this as an alternative with the customer, and ended up pricing both options to compare.

The Axelent X-Guard product came in at approximately 40 percent cheaper than the purpose designed guarding. Installation of the X-Guard safety guarding was going to be considerably quicker than the bespoke option, which in turn offered further cost savings.

Axelent X-Guard is manufactured in Sweden and complies with AS/NZS 4024-2006 and its European counterpart ISO 13857-2008. The guarding features include a 50 x 30mm mesh aperture allowing a safety distance from a hazard of 200mm, and mesh panels that can only be removed with a special key – operators and staff cannot remove panels with common tools such as Allen keys or spanners.

There is a range of hinged and sliding doors, yellow powder coated posts and black powder-coated mesh and components, and mesh panels are available in 100mm increments from 250mm to 1500mm wide. Standard heights are 2,000mm and 2,300mm.

Concentric Engineered Solutions created a 3D model in Solid Edge of the machine, then used software supplied by Axelent to create a proposed guarding solution for the customer.

Once the customer agreed on the proposed solution a 3D model of the guarding was generated by the Axelent software that was re-inserted into the Solid Edge model. The customer then used the 3D model of the machine and guarding to get input and buyin from production staff.

The customer used the mGard trapped key system from Fortress Interlocks to secure the distance guarding doors and interlock them to the machine control system.

Concentric Engineered Solutions designed and manufactured a range of lock and latch panels with handles for the variety of door options used on the machine guarding to suit the mGard trapped key system.

The lock and latch panels were made out of stainless steel to match the mGard components and eliminate the chance of the panels being scratched over time when compared to powder coated steel.

In this situation, distance guarding was the most appropriate solution for the customer. Concentric Engineered Solutions can offer both the Axelent X-Guard modular distance guarding product or bespoke guarding solutions for your machinery.

The firm has a good working knowledge of AS/NZS 4024-2006 and can offer the complete solution including electrical design and control system integration.