Machine Safety & Guarding

Interlocks, light curtains, E-stops and safety relays — categories, performance levels and correct application.

Safety Interlock Switch Types and Defeat Resistance

A practical reference on guard interlocking devices, covering tongue, hinge, magnetic, RFID-coded, and guard-locking switches, plus defeat resistance and.

August 11, 2026

Safety Light Curtains: Resolution and Safe Distance

Light curtain specification hinges on resolution and safe distance. Selecting the wrong detection capability or guessing stopping time removes the physical.

August 11, 2026

Emergency Stop Devices: Requirements and Categories

A technical reference on E-stop categories, mandatory device characteristics, rope-pull switches, and the distinction between emergency stop and safe isolation.

August 11, 2026

Safety Relay or Safety Controller: A Selection Reference

Choosing between hardwired safety relays and configurable safety controllers requires evaluating function count, diagnostic needs, and logic complexity, not.

August 11, 2026

Reading Performance Level and SIL on a Safety Component

Learn how ISO 13849 Performance Levels and IEC 62061 Safety Integrity Levels relate, and how to interpret PL, SIL, B10d and MTTFd for safety components.

August 11, 2026

Fixed Guarding: Openings, Reach Distances and Materials

A practical guide to sizing openings, evaluating reach zones, and choosing mesh, polycarbonate or steel sheet for permanent machine guards.

August 11, 2026

Lockout/Tagout Hardware: A Practical Reference

A concise guide to selecting and applying LOTO hardware, covering padlocks, hasps, valve and disconnect lockouts, and the energy‑isolation principles behind.

August 11, 2026