Clear industrial safety shielding with impact resistance 250 times that of glass of equivalent thickness is being offered by thermoplastics engineering specialist Dotmar EPP as a high-performance alternative to metal shielding.
Transparent polycarbonate Safeguard PC – the same type of material used in bullet-resistant laminates in banks - is cut to shape by Dotmar to function as see-through machine guards, for machine surrounds and as protective panels in applications traditionally served by metal and heavier and less easily fabricated alternatives.
Dotmar also provides Polyguard safety yellow rigid polyethylene where protective material is required to shout a safety warning as well as covering the hazardous part or process. Maintenance-free Polyguard is available in large sheets for general use in plant engineering (ranging from custom-fabricated guards to tank construction).
Safeguard PC
Cut from either rod, sheet or tube, Safeguard PC is lightweight, easy to handle, and has properties providing extremely high impact resistance, high heat deflection temperature under load and excellent mechanical strength in the temperature range –100°C - +120°C. Offering up to 90% light transmission and optical clarity, it also has low moisture absorption, self-extinguishing properties good electrical insulation properties.
Safeguard’s sound deadening properties comparable to plate glass of equal thickness and it has a shock load resistance 250 times that of glass and 30-40 times that of acrylic clear sheet. Safeguard’s non-toxicity makes it suitable in food and medical applications.
Polycarbonates such as Dotmar EPP’s Safeguard are called polycarbonates because they are polymers having functional groups linked together by carbonate groups (-O-CO-O-) in a long molecular chain. The structure gives the material its toughness, optical clarity, ability to be bent and drilled and cut with a saw – all while remaining dimensionally stable, maintenance-free and possessing sound-dampening properties (In fact they are employed as sound-dampening walls).
As a premium member of the polycarbonate family, Safeguard PC is among the strongest and safest rigid see-through material available to safety conscious managers, machine builders and OH&S safety teams. It maintains its high impact strength even after long outdoor periods and is practically indestructible.
Applications are extensive and include:
• Guards on machines, including see-through protective covers on cutting machines and hazardous processes, from metalworking to chemical treatments
• See-through doors and hatches in industrial, commercial, laboratory and in construction where clear access visibility is an issue
• Security windows on banks, security centres, detention centers and vehicles and installations where security is required from those inside or outside
• Anything where see-through protection is required
Applications of safety yellow Polyguard
Polyguard is made from Polystone 300 Yellow, a material which is seven times lighter than steel and can be used for safety applications such as machinery guards that (like their clear cousins) will not corrode and are virtually unbreakable.
Polyguard Yellow machine guards can be cost-efficiently custom-fabricated to protect operators of a broad range of industrial equipment and moving parts, ranging from small localised hazards to entire components, such as transmission drives.
Fabricators can use Polyguard to construct “Safety Yellow” machine guards for all types of applications, including power transmission covers, particularly in the manufacturing, mining, quarrying, materials handling and chemical handling industries, including those handling ingredients used by food, beverage and primary industries.
Polyguard also provides a good insulator, with high dielectric resistance, is weatherproof, resists aggression from corrosive chemicals such as sulphuric acid and caustic soda, and is rated better than carbon steel and other plastic materials for abrasion resistance. It is chemically inert and can be easily cleaned, retaining its safety yellow colour.