Interlocking system controls personnel access

A novel electromagnetic interlocking system controls personnel access through the gates and doors set within the perimeter safety fencing or screens surrounding potentially hazardous machinery.

Magsafe is Smartscan's latest innovation in machine safety - an electromagnetic interlocking system for controlling personnel access through the gates and doors set within the perimeter safety fencing or screens surrounding potentially hazardous machinery.

A key design element in Magsafe was to lock the door using magnetic force rather than by mechanical means and to remove the problems that plague existing gate locks due to liquid and dirt exposure in combination with the rigours of daily operation.

This causes fatigue and leads to mechanical failure of the product.

Using safety light curtain based technology the system control unit "continuously monitors" the on and off state of the magnets.

This ensures the system detects when the gate is open and when it is closed.

Only when the gate is closed and the magnetic locking force applied, will the control system allow machine operation.

A typical system comprises of electromagnetic gate locks, controller, local access control unit with "traffic light" entry condition indication and connection cables.

The system features include, Category 4 EN954-1 safety integrity, selectable run down timers for gate release, no moving parts significantly reducing mechanical wear, holding force up to 500N per magnet, operation of up to 16 monitored magnetic gate locks from a single controller, easy alignment between magnet and target, dual channel safety relay outputs, safety monitoring (EDM) and e-stop inputs.

Smartscan will be exhibiting its Magsafe system at the Process Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA) exhibition at the UK NEC, from 27th to 29th September 2005 on Stand 12032 in Hall 12.

Back to top