Machinery safety is front and centre at MachineBuilding.South

Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by thinking of January 2027 as being a long way off; it'll come round in no time, and its contents are things that machine builders need to be familiar with now. Fortunately, MachineBuilding.South is the place to be bolster your knowledge and see what's new.

Among products on display from IDEM Safety Switches(Stand 21) is the DS Range, providing a fully configurable safety interlock and control station solution, combining multiple functions in one robust, integrated unit.

The DS Range can be built to suit the exact requirements of each machine, with options including push buttons, selector switches, indicator lamps, emergency stop functions and other operator controls. Each device is also supplied with an ISO-compliant decal pack and coloured lens pack, giving machine builders a flexible way to create a control station tailored to each access point.

Where controlled access is required, the DS Range can also be configured with a guard locking option. This allows the guard to remain locked until it is safe for the operator to enter, helping to support safer access to hazardous areas.

By combining safety interlocking and operator controls into one assembly, the DS Range helps reduce the need for separate devices, additional wiring and multiple mounting points. This supports cleaner machine design, simplified installation and reduced build time.

With its rugged metal construction and flexible configuration options, the DS Range is ideal for demanding industrial environments where durability, safety and ease of installation are essential.

A particular area of safety that is not always well understood is muting, which enables materials to pass through safety devices such as light curtains without interrupting production. In practice these systems can be vulnerable to incorrect operation or manipulation. According to international safety standards, muting must use multiple independent signals and prevent foreseeable misuse - requirements that are not always fully met in real-world applications. Leuze (Stand 29) supports manufacturers with structured safety engineering that goes beyond conventional muting, delivering customised, standards-compliant solutions that protect workers while maintaining efficient automated processes.

Pilz (Stand 111) continues to emphasise the importance of Industrial Security, with topics such as the threat of external attacks and potential manipulation now included in the new Machinery Regulation. That may not be mandatory until January 2027, but these are issues that we are all facing right now.

Industrial Security describes the protection of production and industrial plants from manipulation, whether intentional, unintentional, or via cyber-attacks. These threats can compromise or disable safety measures designed to protect employees and ensure functional safety.

As well as products to help ensure both safety and industrial security, Pilz Automation UK now has a dedicated training path for Industrial Security, with varying courses tailored to different levels of expertise. Safety Meets Security sits at Introduction level and imparts an understanding of why Industrial Security matters and provides an overview of the key legislation - the Machinery Directive, the Cyber Resilience Act and NIS2.

Another company emphasising training is Wieland Electric(Stand 98). The company's TUVcertified training programmesgive engineers and safety professionals the practical, standardsbased knowledge they need to design and maintain compliant, futureready systems.

On the Wieland Electric stand at MachineBuilding.South, you can see the power of thesamosPRO compact safety controller- a modular, spacesaving solution built for modern machine and plant safety. With scalable safe motion, flexible I/O and analogue capability, alongside a range of supporting safety devices to allow seamless integration into existing automation environments, samosPRO compact helps machine builders boost performance while reducing installation time and lifecycle costs.

Alongside safety of machinery, there is also safety when accessing control panels to be considered. Every maintenance electrician in the UK knows the routine. Isolate, lock off, don PPE, open the panel door, prove dead with a two-pole tester proved on a known live source. The whole process takes around twenty minutes and exposes personnel to arc flash at the point of test. If the isolation has failed and the circuit is still live, the person opening that door faces both arc flash and the risk of electrocution.

BS EN 50110-1:2023 requires absence of voltage to be verified before work begins. That is Rule 3 of the five safety rules for dead working. The standard mandates the outcome but does not prescribe a specific method, and nothing prohibits permanently installed systems from performing this verification with the panel door closed.

The i-AVT-N from I-Gard Corporation (Stand 121) does precisely that. Installed through a standard 30mm knockout in the panel door, it makes verified direct contact with the bus bar via a supervisory circuit that confirms physical connection before every test. One button press. A confirmed safe or live reading in under ten seconds. The door stays closed throughout, eliminating both arc flash exposure and the risk of electrocution from conductors that should be dead but are not.

The i-AVT-N is launching into the UK market through distribution partner Crompton Controls. At MachineBuilding.South you'll be able to see the technology in operation on a working demo panel, and join our workshop session where the I-Gard engineering team will walk through the application and what it means for your panel designs.