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In Focus - Archive June 2009
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Koramat - Applications are "incomplete machines" according to the new machinery directive
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01.06.2009 -
The safety of products and systems traditionally tops the priority list at SCHUNK. Since we want to partner with our customers, we are exclusively offering top-of-the-line products in quality and safety. SCHUNK’s motto, “Safety First” knows no limits. It is also the motto for many guidelines issued by the European Community for many areas relevant to safety. There are guidelines for elevators and gas installations, for medical device, cable cars, ATEX products, and many machines. For manufacturers and users of machines, the machinery directive (machinery directive 98/37/EG) is of particular importance. It determines what is categorized as a machine and what type of legal obligations a manufacturer has. According to this directive a machine is, “An entirety of components which are connected with each other or devices, of which at least one is moveable, as well as if necessary, of actuation units, control and energy circuits etc., which are connected for a certain application, such as the machining, the conditioning, the shifting and the treatment of a material…" Such a machine is functioning independent of its environment and its individual components cannot be used without the machine in a reasonable way.
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Revised version of the machinery directive
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With the introduction of the revised version of the machinery directive, becoming effective on December 29, 2009, incomplete machines are also addressed.
If they are intended to be integrated in other machines or other incomplete machines, or to be assembled in order to build a machine, they are included. Here machine components such as grippers or linear units are concerned, units which SCHUNK specializes in.
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Important changes
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Conform assembly instruction
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The manufacturer’s declaration is used for describing how a machine is installed.
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The new machinery directive demands that machines that cause danger have to be examined more thoroughly on their lifetime cyles, during assembly and operation, and of how they are disposed of. The occurring risks have to be evaluated according to a given procedure depending on its frequency and the extent of damage. The manufacturer has to take countermeasures and has to document which measures have been taken in changing the engineering design in order to minimize these risks. If a change in design is not possible, other safety measures have to be taken and the safety notes in the operation manual have to be updated. In case of incomplete machines, an assembly instruction is mandatory. It has to be written in one of the official languages of the European Community and has to be accepted by the manufacturer of the machine, who integrates the incomplete machine into his machine.
SCHUNK is already prepared to incorporate the changes made by the new machinery directive because we have performed risk assessments on our machines and products for many years. For example, during the development of the food industry gripper LMG, all possible risks were registered during testing and were then minimized by modifying the engineering design, because safety and quality should always belong together!
Clearly documented product information has always been required by SCHUNK. For many years, our customers have received detailed operation or assembly instructions along with the components and solutions they bought. Our customers have the assurance of knowing that our production risks are low and efficient, and safe manufacturing is always a guarantee.
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Better defined
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The new machinery directive clearly limits one directive to the other, i.e. from the low voltage directive to the EMC directive. When a product has several directives that apply to it, the manufacturer has to choose according to which directive the declaration of conformity is issued. Basically the declaration of conformity is issued according to the directive of the area of which the highest risk can be expected.
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Directives have to transpose to law
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The directives of the EC have to be translated in the individual countries into national law. For the machinery directive in Germany, this is done by the Equipment and Product Safety Act. Since it is not possible to create uniform directives in the member states, the EC tries to issue harmonized standards. Although its use is voluntarily, they clarify the safety requirements of the EC-directive.
Standards also play a central role for the design and safety of products and thus the European standards are an essential instrument in putting the EC-directives into practice. By the way: An effective research on standards can be found at www.beuth.de. European laws and directives can be found at eur-lex.europa.eu.
SCHUNK sets the benchmark in toolholding, workholding and automation and is well adapted to its customers’ requirements with its vast sales program of certified products and solutions. Contact our office or external sales staff. They will assist you to find the right solution for your application.
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11.2009
Straightaway micron-precise
In addition to a high repeat accuracy, in modern machine tools, positioning-, measuring- and handling the accuracy of the axial movement is now playing an important role. In this way, precise parts for the production or electronic industry, can be designed with a micron-precise guidance along the complete axis.
 more...
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10.2009
How Machines Can Learn To See
More and more industries tap the full potential of machine vision systems. Whether in the supermarket, on the highway, at the airport, or in the factory; pictures are being taken by a camera system and are evaluated with a computer, in order to make a fully-automatic, quick and safe decision.
more...
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09.2009
Hydraulic expansion technology for workpiece clamping
Hydraulic expansion toolholders for tool clamping (milling cutter, drills, taps and reamers) are known on the market for a long time and are appreciated for their technical advantages. They combine powerful, centric clamping with a high internal dampening. The result is an excellent surface at high machining speeds.
more...
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08.2009
Gripping - checking - measuring - preventing from damage
Intelligent sensors transform actuators to sensitive helpers in automation
Sensors used in automation are essential organs of machines and plants. While gripping modules and other actuators performed pre-defined tasks in the past, today, they are intelligent and flexible helpers in the manufacturing process due to the use of intelligent sensors. They provide the plant with important information on the process, products or components as well as plant functions. This increases flexibility, shortens manufacturing time, ensures product quality, avoids plant failures, and prevents the automation systems from damage.
more...
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07.2009
The trend towards precision toolholders
For many years, collet chucks have been popular because of their low pricing and have been the established toolholders for many machining applications. Unfortunately, the same scenario happens in many companies: Because of worry over loose tools, many machine operators are tightening the coolant tube nut of the collet mountings with oversized extensions.
more...
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06.2009
Always up-to-date with the standards - The new machinery directive in the EC
The safety of products and systems traditionally tops the priority list at SCHUNK. Since we want to partner with our customers, we are exclusively offering top-of-the-line products in quality and safety.
more...
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05.2009
Highly economical due to performance in toolholding and workholding
5-axis machines offer an enormous potential for efficiency in modern production. With sturdy machine kinematics, high axis accelerations, short chip-to-chip times, fast tool magazines and finely tuned controllers, you have all kinds of production power in a very small space.
more...
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04.2009
Microvalve Technology
- Small component handling and assembly
Anyone who wants to handle or assemble small, light parts can really get a move on with electromagnetic microvalves. These energy-efficient valves are screwed directly onto the pneumatic actuator and thus eliminate the need for long wires. They make the tempo significantly faster and thus save compressed air, complicated wiring, and a lot of assembly time.
more...
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03.2009
Reliable precision for the most well-hidden corners
Regardless of their design sophistication, it is sometimes impossible to avoid cre-ating hard-to-reach points on workpieces. All of these cases require slim toolholder systems with minimized interference contours. They have to penetrate into the most well-hidden corners, transmit sufficient torque and guarantee high precision at the same time.
more...
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02.2009
The foundry sector: a red-hot key industry
With 87,000 employees and sales of around €14 billion in 2007, the foundry sector is one of German industry's smaller branches. Its economic significance is large.
more...
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In Focus - 2013
In Focus - Archive 2012
In Focus - Archive 2011
In Focus - Archive 2010
In Focus - Archive 2009
In Focus - Archive 2008
In Focus - Archive 2007
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