Safety interlocks help loading bay safety

Castell Safety International has specified Schmersal AZR 31 T2 safety relays and BNS 33 coded magnetic safety interlocks for a safety system designed to make warehouse loading bays safer.

Castell Safety International is a Halma group company specialising in the supply of integrated safety solutions for industries such as food processing, petrochemical, mining and nuclear.

As part of a new development designed for the logistics industry, the company has specified Schmersal AZR 31 T2 safety relays and BNS 33 coded magnetic safety interlocks for a safety system designed to make warehouse loading bays safer.

With an estimated 25% of factory and warehouse accidents happening in the loading bay, Castell's new Salvo system makes a major contribution to safety by preventing articulated vehicles from leaving the loading bay prematurely and jeopardising the safety of forklift drivers and other warehouse staff.

Explaining the key features of the Salvo system, Castell Project Manager Neal Partridge says that when an incoming vehicle has been reversed into the loading bay an operator removes the air brake line coupling, which applies the air brakes and prevents the trailer from being moved.

The Salvo is then fitted to the exposed coupling, locking the two together and preventing the airline from being re-fitted.

This locking action releases a coded key from the Salvo unit, which is then used to release a corresponding key from a Salvo exchange unit located inside the warehouse.

This key is used to provide power to open the door of the loading bay and operate dock levellers and other equipment.

While the door is open the key is trapped and the vehicle cannot be driven away.

Commenting on the choice of Schmersal safety components he says: "Salvo's simplicity is a real benefit and the system is easily installed with minimum disruption".

"However, motorised door systems take quite a lot of abuse and have large misalignment tolerances, so we needed safety components with a high safety category rating and a lot of tolerance".

"The Schmersal BNS 33 interlock and relay more than met our specification on both counts and have proved totally reliable in the 70 Salvo systems installed to date".

The interlock, which is integral to the Salvo system, is activated using matching coded magnets.

As soon as the doors open the coded magnets move apart, effectively de-energising the safety circuit and releasing a solenoid that prevents the key from being removed.

Back to top