Machine safety system

The European machinery directive (EU machinery directive 2006/42/EC) specifies the general requirements for safety on machines in the entire European Economic Area. The European standards define moreover concrete requirements for protective devices and the application of protective devices on machines. Protective devices like for e.g. light curtains (AOPD active opto-electronic protective device), opto-electronic access guarding systems, laser scanners a.s.o. allows more or less an unresisted access to the dangerous area. In this case one have to ensure that the worker can not reach the danger point before the machine has been stopped via the protective device. This is managed by keeping a certain safety distance between the sensing field of the protective device and the nearest hazard point. This safety distance is calculated by considering the machine stopping performance, the response time of the protective device, the additional distance (penetration depth factor) and the assumed approach speed. The standard EN ISO 13855 as a woldwide valid standard (following the EN 999) defines the formulas for calculation of the entire safety distance. Here we will shortly present an online calculator for determination of safety distances of two hand controls, safety light curtains, access controls, laser scanners, door switches and safety mats. The calculation is according the norms EN / ISO 13855 and EN 999