Castell Safety Products Now Available Through Tapeswitch

Oct. 26, 2009
Tapeswitch Corp. has added equipment from industrial safety specialist Castell to its electrical and photoelectric safety product offerings.

Castell’s trapped-key interlocks and loading-dock guarding systems will now be available in the United Stated through Tapeswitch.

Trapped-key interlocks can be used for machine guarding and control, switch gear, valve interlocking, process control and general personnel safety. They require employees to follow a predetermined sequence of tasks to control process risks and equipment hazards. Valves, actuators, switches, doors and processes are physically locked until the right key is used. With a trapped-key system, the next stop in a process can only be unlocked and started once the previous step has been completed and the appropriate key released, guaranteeing the correct sequence of events, according to Tapeswitch.

For example, when a robot must be disabled to allow safe personnel entry into a hazard zone, trapped-key products ensure a key is only released after the robot has completed a full cycle. Once the key is removed, the robot is disarmed, and the key is then used in the access interlock to obtain entry into the now-safe zone.

To promote safety at the loading dock, Castell’s Salvo system prevents trucks from driving away during loading or unloading. The Salvo gladhand lock attaches to a trailer’s brake line, releasing a uniquely coded key. In an automatic system, the key is then used in an exterior control panel, which disengages the automatic door interlock, allowing workers to begin loading or unloading safely. Until the automatic door interlock is bolted again, the control panel will not release the key needed to open the Salvo gladhand lock, making it impossible for a driver to depart.

Castell’s equipment complements Tapeswitch’s electrical and photoelectric safety equipment, which includes switching and sensing products, such as safety mats, sensing edges and bumpers, touchpads and vehicle-sensing devices.