Safety is a value in everyday life and in the workplace that cannot be fully assessed. A hazard is always an undesirable phenomenon that should be eliminated through the use of various, pre-tested safety devices.

In the workplace, the employer is the one who ensures safety. Their task is to enable the employee to carry out their daily tasks in such a way that the highest level of safety is guaranteed. It is also important that the equipment used by employees at work is always kept in perfect condition.

How best to maintain CNC machines and what to look out for when buying new machines

First, check that the design of the machine eliminates the possibility of injury, exposure to hazardous chemicals, excessive noise, electric shock or exposure to radiation. The priority is that the new purchase provides an appropriate level of safety and hygiene.

Any undesirable incident with a machine, however minor, must be considered an exceptional situation that must be investigated and explained, and then responded to so that it does not happen again.

On the other hand, it is useful to know that the manufacturer is obliged to validate the product and its safety system. This procedure is intended to provide proof that a product performs as expected. The procedure is carried out with regard to both the legal standards and the end user of the product. Validation should be started as early as the design phase of a machine, as this increases the likelihood that any resulting problems can be rectified immediately. The later a fault is detected, the more expensive it is to correct.

The validation process consists of a series of specific steps that correspond to the type of product. In the case of a CNC cutting machine, for example, this could look like this:

• Simulation of the cutting process,
• simulate a fault to check the safety system,
• the initiation of an emergency stop procedure for the machine,
• Software tests.

Testing of machines before their market launch

Each manufacturer specifies in detail which tests must be carried out and how, before a machine is launched on the market. The main purpose of validation is to reduce the risk of an undesirable situation occurring. Of course, the end user is obliged to use the product in accordance with its intended purpose and the recommendations in the operating instructions.

Detailed information on the scope of the validation to be carried out can be found in various pieces of legislation:

• EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC,
• PN-EN ISO 13849-1/-2 Safety of machinery - Safety-related parts of control systems - Part 2: Validation,
• EN 61508 Series of standards EN 61508 Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable safety-related systems (Part 1-7)
• EN 60261 Safety of machinery - Functional safety of electrical, electronic and programmable electronic safety-related control systems (SRECS) (Chapter 8)
• The fulfillment of the obligation imposed on the manufacturer of the device and compliance with the operating instructions do not guarantee safe use. It is equally important to comply with health and safety regulations. These include the following
• the rules for adapting the premises according to the work being carried out, the machinery used and the number of workers,
• how to secure electrical installations,
• the marking of aisles and access routes to workstations,
• the organization of the workplace,
• Placement of safety instructions
• Labeling of safety-relevant control elements,
• Safety-relevant light and sound signals,
• Covers and protective devices,
• Labeling of machines and other technical equipment,
• Personal protective equipment, work clothing and footwear. 

As a responsible manufacturer, Eckert pays close attention to the safety of its CNC cutting machines. This is also demonstrated by the fact that many machine components are designed and built into the machines for safety reasons. In addition, similar components continue to be designed and installed in new models as required. 

The following table provides information on the most important safety elements that are now an integral part of Eckert machines. For each element, the machine models in which it is used are listed.

The elements listed are just examples of responsible machine design. Of course, there are many more safety features whose functionality is thoroughly tested before implementation. It is important that you remember to read the operating instructions and safety regulations during your daily work. In life-threatening or health-threatening situations, knowledge of these can be crucial and thus reduce the risk of an accident or mitigate its consequences.