This sub-category discusses emergency stop devices, components, system design, evaluation and implementation.
When it comes to emergency stop devices there is no doubt that the red mushroom-head push button is the most common – they seem to be everywhere. The second most common emergency stop device is the pull-cord, and like the light-curtain in safeguarding devices, the pull-cord is probably the most misapplied emergency stop device. Local […]
I am always looking for interesting examples of machinery safety problems to share on MS101. Recently I was scrolling Reddit/r/OSHA and found these three real-world examples. Broken Emergency Stop Buttons The first and most obvious kinds of failures are those resulting from either wear out or damage to emergency stop devices like e-stop buttons or pull […]
Ed. Note: This article was revised 25-Jul-17 to include information on safe standstill. Safe Drive Control including STO Motor drives are everywhere. From DC variable speed drives and indexing drives, through AC Variable Frequency drives, servo drives and stepper motor drives, the capabilities and the flexibility of these electronic systems has given machine designers unprecedented […]