Welding Safety
Welding is an established manufacturing process with known potential hazards.
Potential safety hazards associated with arc welding include arc radiation, air
contamination, electrical shock, fire and explosion, compressed gases, and other
hazards. Robots were originally designed to perform the job functions of a
human. They were designed to relieve humans of the drudgery of unpleasant,
fatiguing, or repetitive tasks and also to remove humans from a potentially
hazardous environment. In this regard, robots can replace humans in the
performance of dangerous jobs and are considered beneficial for preventing
industrial accidents. On the other hand, robots have caused fatal accidents.
The introduction of robots requires appropriate safety features in order to
protect both those working directly with the robot and others in the workshop
who may not be aware of its potential dangers. This can be provided in a number
of ways.
One of the best solutions for robot safety is to purchase a complete welding
cell from a robotic integrator . A complete cell includes barriers, all necessary
safety devices, and a method of loading and unloading the workstation.
Each robot installation must be carefully planned from safety viewpoint to
eliminate hazards. When the robot is in operation it is necessary that people
remain outside the work envelope. Barriers or fences should be in place around
the robot. All doors and maintenance openings must be protected by safety
switches, and the weld areas must be safe guarded so that the
power is immediately removed from the robot when a door is opened.. Emergency
stop buttons should be placed on all operator panels, robot cabinets and
robot programming panels. Barriers must be designed to completely surround the
robot and eliminate the possibility of people climbing over or under to get
inside the barrier. Signal lights must be arranged on the robot or in the robot
area to indicate that the robot is powered.
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