Understanding ANSI B11 Machine Guarding Standards Machine safety involves more than adding a guard around moving parts. Teams need to identify hazards, assess risk, and choose the right way to reduce that risk. The ANSI B11 standards provide guidance for this process. They cover many parts …
RapidGuard® II
Machine Risk Assessments Explained
Machine Risk Assessments Explained Every machine creates a different set of risks. A conveyor may create pinch points. A robot can move into an employee's work area. Other equipment may expose workers to cutting, crushing, or flying debris. A machine risk assessment helps teams find these …
Fixed Guards vs. Interlocked Guards: Which Is Right?
Fixed Guards vs. Interlocked Guards: Which Is Right? Choosing the right machine guard starts with the work taking place inside the guarded area. Some machines need a barrier that stays in place. Others need regular access for loading, service, or other tasks. Fixed guards and interlocked …
840 Wire Partitions Improve Steel Mill Safety
840 Wire Partitions Improve Steel Mill Safety Project Overview: Steel production requires safety solutions that can withstand a demanding work environment. Nucor West Virginia turned to Airline and WireCrafters to help strengthen safety across its growing facility. The project combines …
Common Machine Guarding Violations Found During OSHA Inspections
Common Machine Guarding Violations Found During OSHA Inspections An OSHA inspection can reveal machine safety issues that teams may overlook during daily work. A missing guard, an open access point, or a disabled safety device can expose workers to serious hazards. OSHA requires employers to …
OSHA Machine Guarding Checklist for Manufacturers
OSHA Machine Guarding Checklist for Manufacturers Machine guarding protects employees from serious workplace hazards. It also helps manufacturers meet OSHA requirements and create a safer production environment. The challenge is knowing where to begin. A simple checklist can help identify …
Custom Machine Guarding for Automated Material Handling
Custom Machine Guarding for Automated Material Handling Project Overview: Automation can improve speed and efficiency, but it also creates new safety needs. UPS needed to protect employees around material handling equipment in an area with limited space. An undisclosed dealer partnered with …
Industrial Robot Safety With Rapid Guard® II
Industrial Robot Safety With Rapid Guard® II Project Overview: Safe automation starts with strong machine guarding. Robotic cells and conveyor systems require reliable barriers that protect employees without slowing production. Aii Systems partnered with WireCrafters to install RapidGuard® II …
Safety and Regulatory Compliance in Robotics and Automation: Best Practices for Safe Industrial Automation Deployment
Safety and Regulatory Compliance in Robotics and Automation: Best Practices for Safe Industrial Automation Deployment By Erik B. Johnson Director of Innovation, WireCrafters Robotics and automation continue to transform manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution operations. From …
Protecting Employees Around Aluminum Roll Unwind Equipment
Protecting Employees Around Aluminum Roll Unwind Equipment Project Overview: Employee safety starts with protecting the areas where people and machinery work side by side. At an undisclosed manufacturing facility, an aluminum roll unwind station created a high-traffic environment where …
Steel Machine Guarding Reduces Cost and Installation Time
Steel Machine Guarding Reduces Cost and Installation Time Project Overview: Choosing the right machine guarding system can improve safety, reduce installation time, and lower project costs. For this project, Rockford Systems needed a solution that delivered all three without compromising …
WireCrafters Showcases Complete Machine Guarding Solutions at Automate
WireCrafters Showcases Complete Machine Guarding Solutions at Automate From June 22–25, 2026, the WireCrafters team exhibited at Automate 2026 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, joining thousands of manufacturers, system integrators, OEMs, and automation professionals to explore the …
Creating Secure Storage Zones in an Automotive Facility
Creating Secure Storage Zones in an Automotive Facility Project Overview: Organization and inventory control play a critical role in maintaining efficiency on a busy manufacturing floor. For a large automotive supplier, properly separating parts, tools, and waste streams became increasingly …
Safety Considerations When Integrating Automation into Your Facility
Safety Considerations When Integrating Automation into Your Facility Automation continues to transform manufacturing and warehouse operations. From collaborative robots to fully automated production lines, companies use new technologies to improve efficiency, increase throughput, and address …
Heavy-Duty Machine Guarding for Forklift Fuel Cell Automation
Heavy-Duty Machine Guarding for Forklift Fuel Cell Automation Project Overview: Automation can improve efficiency, but it also introduces new safety challenges that require careful planning and protection. When Concentric LLC developed an automated fuel cell replacement system for forklift …
Supporting Automation With Reliable Protection
Supporting Automation With Reliable Protection Project Overview: Automation plays a major role in keeping production moving efficiently, but it also requires safety systems that can perform reliably in harsh industrial conditions. At NGK Ceramics, protecting employees around material-handling …
Built for Safety in Continuous Laundry Processing
Built for Safety in Continuous Laundry Processing Project Overview: Equipment-heavy laundry operations require clear separation between people and moving machinery to keep work areas safe and organized. At this commercial laundry facility, the team needed to create better separation as …
A Better Approach to Protecting Automated Workflows
A Better Approach to Protecting Automated Workflows Project Overview: As automation continues to transform large-scale distribution operations, facilities are challenged to balance advanced technology with practical safety solutions. When a large grocery distribution operation implemented an …
Strengthening Safety Around Large Lathes at Nucor
Strengthening Safety Around Large Lathes at Nucor Project Overview: Safety and access control were critical priorities for Nucor as they sought to protect employees better while working around large lathes and heavy machinery. To support these efforts, CMM Industrial partnered with …
Engineered Protection for Evolving Operations
Engineered Protection for Evolving Operations Project Overview: When Starland Metals set out to strengthen its welding operations with a new robotic investment, safety and performance had to work hand in hand. To support this initiative, Cloos partnered with WireCrafters to provide a …
