The safety protection method of the robot arc welding station is mainly for:
- Arc, arc welding fumes and toxic gases
- Mechanical failure
Different security measures are applied to these two damages.
- Protection against arc and smoke
Under normal circumstances, the primary means of protection against arc and smoke is through occlusion, with the closed position used to isolate the welding position from the outside world. A smoke exhaust system is also installed above the welding station to discharge the smoke and harmful gases generated by welding from the workstation for centralized treatment. The security bar is part of the security device system.
To separate the welding station from the outside, a perimeter fence is used, with the top of the fence fitted with a protective roof and connected to a soot system or pipe. This enables the discharge of smoke and harmful gases out of the workstation promptly, preventing the operation or maintenance personnel from seeing the arc outside the workstation, or breathing harmful smoke while inside.
This type of protection system should be made available for all general arc welding stations. Additionally, depending on the layout of the workstation, various methods should be employed to isolate the operator from the arc weld.
In multi-station welding workstations, flexible or rigid protective equipment should be utilized to isolate the operator loading and unloading the workpiece from the station being welded, thus preventing operator exposure to arcing during operation.
- For mechanical safety failure
Ensuring the safety of an arc welding station is crucial not only to prevent damage to the surrounding environment and personnel from the arc and smoke, but also to prevent mechanical safety failures.
During the operation of the arc welding system, it is essential to keep the operator in a safe range.
In case of operator misuse or unexpected machine failure, the system must stop working promptly to ensure personnel safety.
Most unsafe accidents happen due to the intersection of unsafe behavior, unsafe device conditions, or unsafe behavior of the person and the device’s unsafe state.
Unsafe equipment in arc welding stations mainly includes welding robots and reversible displacement devices.
Both types of equipment have a certain range of motion, and it is extremely dangerous if the operator enters their range while in working condition.
To prevent people from entering unsafe areas while the equipment is in operation, the first step is to isolate the range of motion between the person and the two types of equipment using a fixed guard.
This measure prevents people from entering unsafe areas, reducing the likelihood of personnel being exposed to the danger zone.
Secondly, when the operator enters the hazardous area, it is essential to ensure that the machine is in a stopped or failed state.
(3) Eliminating the intersection of unsafe behavior of people and the unsafe state of equipment
Personnel are the core of operations. The best guarantee for personnel safety is achieved by avoiding unsafe behaviors of people and combining the security status of equipment.
When designing the arc welding system, the equipment’s unsafe state should be taken into account in actual work. During the actual operation, operators should receive training in various regulations, operating procedures, and safety awareness.
To ensure safety in daily production, it is important to develop good safety practices and correct operating habits.
