Author: zmurphy

When it comes to industrial safety, standard and custom electronic safety solutions can be the difference between a near-miss and a disaster. While out-of-the-box safety devices are a good start, customizing these solutions to the specific needs of your operation elevates the level of protection you offer your team. 

This blog explores how custom electronic safety devices are not just an addition to the workplace but are fundamental to creating safer, more responsive industrial environments.

The Quest for Machine Safety: A Factory Manager’s Tale

Imagine a factory renowned for its top-notch production and automation. At its helm is Bill, a seasoned operations manager known for his sharp eye for efficiency and unwavering commitment to safety.

Bill’s day begins as always with the familiar hum of machinery and the sight of his dedicated team busy at work. Behind the usual bustle, a nagging thought has troubled him for weeks: the factory’s safety measures are good but not perfect. In this setting, safety isn’t just a priority; it’s a necessity. “Good” is simply not good enough.

Not long after, a close call near the conveyor section leaves everyone shaken. It’s a timely reminder that the current safety control systems only give basic protection. Bill needs more.

His search led him to explore various options: 

• Safety light curtains can stop machinery the moment unexpected movement is detected. Are they enough on their own? 
• Area scanners comprehensively monitor preset danger zones. Will they work in his factory’s dynamic environment? 
• Pressure mats make emergency stops easy, but are they enough as a standalone measure?

Bill grew frustrated. Each solution, while beneficial, seems only to be a piece of the puzzle he’s trying to solve. He needs something fast, efficient, and, most importantly, custom-made to safeguard his employees and factory.

The Standard vs. Custom Safety Controllers Debate

Faztek sees a lot of people like Bill as industrial safety options continue expanding and evolving. The question arises: should you opt for standard safety solutions that broadly address common hazards, or should you invest in custom solutions tailored to the unique aspects of your workplace?

The Case for Standard Safety Modules

Standard electronic safety solutions have their place. They are tested, proven, and quick to implement. These solutions are designed to meet general safety standards and are ideal for businesses with straightforward operational processes or limited budgets. Standard solutions present a quick and cost-effective way to address the most common workplace hazards. However, the one-size-fits-all approach may only cover some nuances of every specific setting.

The Need for Custom Safety Solutions

On the other hand, custom electronic safety solutions present a different value. Every workplace has challenges, from the facility’s layout to the type of machinery used and even the workforce’s skill level. Custom solutions consider your unique variables to build a safety system more precisely aligned with your workplace. Such solutions could mean designing safety guards that fit unusual machine sizes or integrating hybrid electronic safety devices for a more responsive mechanism.

 

Tailored safety solutions can be built from scratch or seamlessly integrated with existing systems and processes, minimizing disruption and improving operational efficiencies. Let’s not forget that different industries face varying and continually changing regulatory safety requirements. Custom safety solutions can help keep facilities compliant and safe over time.

Why Aren’t Custom Safety Solutions the Norm?

Customizing safety solutions is a complex task that demands a high level of expertise and a deep understanding of industry needs and safety standards. Many providers lack the resources or specialized knowledge to offer such tailored solutions. Generally, manufacturers focus on broader market solutions that appeal to a wider audience and are more economically viable for mass production.

Balancing Efficiency, Cost, and Safety

The decision between standard and custom solutions often comes down to balancing efficiency, cost, and the level of safety required. 

Custom safety solutions have an edge over standard options for keeping your workplaces safe. These custom solutions slot in neatly with how you already work, making you less likely to have disruptions caused by safety issues. They might cost a bit more upfront, but think about the long game. By reducing accidents, you’re also cutting costs resulting from workplace injuries and the downtime that comes with them.

And here’s something to consider: it’s a big morale booster when your team sees that you’ve put in the effort to invest in safety solutions that are just right for their workspace. They feel more confident and are likely to follow safety rules more closely, and that’s a win for everyone’s safety culture.

4 Electronic Safety Devices of Note

Customizing your safety approach begins with understanding the tools at your disposal. Here are four key electronic safety devices shaping the future of industrial safety:

Device	Purpose	Function	Key Benefit	Customizability
Safety Light Curtains	Create an invisible safety barrier	Halt machine operation when light beams are interrupted	Immediate accident prevention	Tailor height and length to fit precise machinery dimensions
Area Scanners	Monitor predefined areas for unexpected entry	Shut down the machine when a person or object enters the danger zone	Comprehensive monitoring of hazardous areas	Adjust the scanning area to specific operational zones
Pressure Mats / Safety Mats	Act as safety triggers for emergency stops (e-stops)	Activate an e-stop when stepped on or when pressure is removed	Enables immediate action in high-risk areas	Set pressure sensitivity for foot traffic, operation conditions, and machines
Safety Switches	Versatile switch options: contact, non-contact, locking, and non-locking switches	Convert standard machine guards into active safety functions	Easy to integrate into new or existing safety systems	Many options are available based on operational risks and machinery types

 

Two Is Twice as Nice as One: Hybrid Safety Solutions

While each device offers safety, the true power lies in using a combination. Hybrid safety solutions integrate two or more devices and provide a more comprehensive safety net. It’s not about layering safety measures; it’s about creating a cohesive system that accounts for multiple hazards and operational nuances.

Hybrid solutions represent a thoughtfully constructed system where each component is critical, addressing multiple hazards and adapting to the needs of your workplace. This integrated strategy ensures a broader and more robust safety net, enhancing overall protection and reducing the risk of accidents.

A hybrid system can offer immediate responses to imminent dangers and ongoing monitoring for emerging risks by combining devices like light curtains, area scanners, and safety switches. Comprehensive coverage is crucial in creating a safer work environment where employees and management can have confidence in the safety measures in place.

A Custom Approach Offers Maximum Safety

In industrial settings, where every operation is unique, a one-size-fits-all approach to safety simply doesn’t cut it. Customizing safety solutions means not just meeting the minimum safety standards but exceeding them to safeguard the work environment effectively. Investing in customized safety is an investment in your team, productivity, and peace of mind.

Remember, in the world of industrial safety, the right choice is the one that provides the most comprehensive protection for your most valuable asset: your people.

Where to Start Looking for Custom Electronic Safety Devices

Faztek’s expert team excels in crafting tailored electronic safety device solutions, including custom and hybrid systems, perfectly aligned with your needs. We are committed to working closely with you, diving deep into the intricacies of your facility to perform a risk assessment and understand the specifics of your machines. 

This hands-on approach allows us to identify the most effective path to safety. With complete ownership of every stage of operation, Faztek offers unparalleled benefits to our clients. You’ll experience more robust quality control and fast turnaround times. Faztek’s streamlined process and commitment to excellence mean you get the best safety solutions customized for your workspace.

Contact us to see how Faztek can help your team.

Prefer to call? We’d love to hear from you! 260-482-7544

If you can conceive it, the team at Faztek Industrial Solutions can create it. Dedicated to custom designs and fabrication, Faztek partners with businesses, medical providers, data centers, manufacturers and do-it-yourselfers to come up with solutions that make sense. 

“We can serve anyone from maintenance departments to engineers to rocket scientists to the DIYer. You can quite literally do whatever you want, as long as your mind can think it up,” explains Chief Operating Officer Derek Melchi. “Our biggest niche is machine guarding. If someone has dangerous machinery and wants to ensure their people are protected, they’ll come to us and we will make a guard.” 

“What’s great about our business is that if our customer’s need something to be a certain size, or an exact size and exact shape, we can make that happen,” adds Faztek Chief Financial Officer Matt Rupp. 

Founded in 2001 as a supplier of aluminum framing, the company has expanded its offerings to include material handling carts, custom workstations, safety guarding and aisle containment. In recent years, Faztek has worked with entrepreneurs like Justin Kuhn who need help bringing their ideas to life. 

After the deadly shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida in 2018, Kuhn had an idea that would help keep students safer. Metal detectors were an obvious solution, but are expensive. In addition, traditional systems are triggered by anything metal: laptops, phones and belt buckles, as well as guns and knives, so each alarm required human intervention. Kuhn’s solution involved a screening device that has the ability to discern between common items and those that may pose a threat. But that didn’t solve the issue of manpower. 

“Schools do not have the resources or manpower for all entrances and exits, so I thought, ‘You really need to put in a camera and integrate it with a metal detector.’ When that metal detector went off, instantly it would snap a photo and it would send that photo to the school resource officer or safety team,” explains Kuhn. “They receive a text notice instantly and can then go and check on the situation.” 

The problem, he then learned, was that each school entrance was different. He needed customized panels that would help funnel students through the metal detectors. Not only did Faztek come up with something functional, but the designers were able to fabricate something that looked good, too. 

“I reached out to the team at Faztek and they couldn’t have been better. They were great to work with,” Kuhn stresses. “They offered an affordable product that was very nice looking. Every system that I did was custom, as every school had a different setup. The designers and team over at Faztek always did their best to make the configuration work. It was very important to have that correct.” 

“Sometimes customers come to us with detailed designs and simply want us to tweak it a little bit, and other times they show up with a drawing on a napkin and we turn that into a design,” says Melchi. 

What sets the company apart from its competitors is a commitment to exceptional customer service, fair pricing and a dedication to delivering quality products quickly. 

“We pride ourselves on our lead times. Our standard turnaround times are anywhere from three days to a week,” says Rupp. “We have a saying around here, ‘It’s not the big-eating-the-small kind of world anymore. It’s the fast eating the slow.’ We have to do whatever is necessary to be the fastest.”

In order to better meet the needs of its customers, Faztek is expanding. In June, leaders broke ground on a new $6 million headquarters and production facility on Bluffton Road.

It will double the size of the current building and have an initial capacity of 60,000 square feet with the potential to expand to 100,000 square feet. It’s expected to open in the spring of 2024. 

As for entrepreneur Justin Kuhn, he eventually sold his company, EntryShield, but the new owner continues to work with Faztek to design and manufacture custom panels for school security systems. “It’s honestly been a great partnership. It’s wonderful that the new owners and company are still using them. It worked well for me because it was right in my own backyard, and I could pick up the product and take it to schools. Even though the new company is out of Arkansas, they are still staying with Faztek which I think says a lot,” says Kuhn. 

From BusinessPeople.com