The objective of this Safety Precautions Document is to emphasize the safety precautions that pertain to robotics equipment and handling molten metal. These precautions should be considered the minimum to be followed.

It is the industry standard, and a requirement by OSHA, to properly guard moving machinery. Furthermore, Shamrock Pouring Systems, Ladlers, may be considered as robotic equipment, and, therefore, must comply with OSHA, Pub. 8-13, Guidelines for Robotics Safety, and ANSI/RIA safety requirements. It is, therefore, imperative that the Shamrock ladlers and ingot loaders are properly guarded prior to startup.

Section 1.0 explains the general foundry and die casting precautions. More information may be obtained from sources such as AFS and NADCA.

Section 2.0 describes the safety precautions for operational personnel and Section 3.0 is related to safety precautions for maintenance personnel.

Appendix A is a source of information and contacts to help you with providing proper and adequate guarding for the ladlers and ingot loaders.

Appendix B lists a number of sources where you may obtain proper safety clothing to protect your personnel while working with or near molten metal.

Appendix C is a list of organizations that recommend the Industrial Safety Standards, such as OSHA and ANSI/RIA or can provide the Industry Safety Standards in a particular industry, AFS and NADCA.

Shamrock Automation systems are efficient units designed with interlocks and circuit protection modules. Operators, however, should be cognizant of all potential hazards involving industrial robots and machines and general foundry and die casting operations. The following Safety Precautions must be read and understood by all operating, maintenance and safety personnel. The management must also read and enforce these Safety Precautions.

The purpose of this document is to familiarize operation and maintenance personnel with safety precautions that pertain to foundry and die casting operations in general, and to the automatic ladling and charging system in particular. The safety precautions listed should be observed and complied with at all times. These precautions should be considered the minimum to be followed.

It is not the purpose of this document to list every precaution which should be followed under every circumstance. Rather, these general safety precautions form a minimum set from which each safety officer can establish precautions and procedures tailored to his individual circumstances. Nothing in these precautions can substitute for properly qualified and trained operators and maintenance personnel exercising good judgement.

Copies of these safety precautions should be posted at conspicuous locations throughout the operational area of the equipment, in order that operations and maintenance personnel can become thoroughly familiar with them. These Safety Precautions must be periodically reviewed and expanded, as needed. ;

The precautions which follow here should be well known to foundrymen and die casters. They are common to all metal melting operations. They are offered as general precautions and should not be construed to cover all types of operations. They should be evaluated in light of your particular operation and expanded or modified as appropriate. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) publishes Federal Regulations that are mandatory for all industries. The American Foundrymen's Society (AFS) and the North American Die Casting Association publish information that pertains to foundry and die casting operations. Refer to Appendix C for information on OSHA and AFS.

The SHAMROCK POURING EQUIPMENT and INGOT LOADERS are designed with personnel safety in mind, however, it is not possible to foresee and prevent all mechanical and electrical failures. DO NOT operate the equipment without appropriate physical guarding installed and interlocked. It is the CUSTOMER'S RESPONSIBILITY to design, install and maintain adequate guarding to prevent personnel intrusion into the working envelope of the equipment. A list of companies which specialize in this area is provided in Appendix A. You may also contact Shamrock for assistance.

• Do not operate the equipment if any safety devices are jumpered, bypassed, or non-operational.



• Access to melting and pouring operations should be limited to authorized personnel only.



• Personnel should wear safety glasses, with side shields, at all times and should use special light reducing glasses when viewing metals at high temperatures.



• Heat and flame retardant clothing should be worn by personnel who work at or near furnaces. Clothing made of flammable materials (nylon, polyester, etc.) should not be worn near furnaces.



• Furnace linings should be inspected frequently at regular intervals to protect against the danger of "run-through's". The lining should always be inspected after cool down.



• A new furnace lining must be of the correct material, compatible with the metal to be melted and should be thoroughly dry before the furnace is charged for a melt. The sintering procedure for this material must be strictly adhered to.



• Charge materials should be dry and free of combustibles, excessive rust, and/or liquids. Violent vaporization of liquids or combustibles can cause boil-overs or explosions in the metal bath.



• Furnaces should be charged carefully to avoid metal splash.

• Removable crucibles should be used only for metals and furnace sizes for which they are suitable. They are not designed for high temperatures required for melting ferrous metals. The crucible manufacturer's specifications should be the guide for crucible use.



• Areas provided to receive runouts or spills must be kept free of accumulations of liquids. Hot metal in contact with liquids can cause violent explosions resulting in personal injuries. Other debris can prevent the flow of molten metal into the runout pit or ignite, causing a fire.

The Shamrock Automatic Pouring Equipment and Ingot Loaders are designed to provide consistent and reliable pouring and charging of non-ferrous metals. For satisfactory results it is important that the equipment be properly installed and maintained. All operators must be trained in the correct operating procedures and must be instructed in the fundamentals of working safely around molten metal and robotic equipment.

NOTE: It is the RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PURCHASER to provide, install, and maintain adequate guarding to prevent the intrusion of people into the operating area of the Automatic Pouring Equipment or the ingot loader.

All automatic pouring units and charging equipment use potentially dangerous electrical and hydraulic power. Shamrock equipment is designed for safe, efficient, reliable operation and easy maintenance. Operator safety is enhanced by several design features built into the equipment. Deliberately defeating these safeguards can expose the operator to hazards. The following precautions should always be observed:

• Do not operate the equipment if any safety devices are jumpered, bypassed, or non-operational.



• Before starting the equipment operation, check the work space visually to make sure that no one is present in the work space.



• Except for visual checks of the meters and lights on the outside of the electrical cabinet, all troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair must be performed by a qualified maintenance person. This qualified maintenance person must be able to recognize hazards and be trained in the safety precautions required to avoid possible injury or death.



• An E-stop button is located on the main control enclosure and other E-stops should be installed throughout the work cell. Pushing the E-stop button causes a complete shutdown of hydraulic and control power. For this reason, it should be used in emergencies ONLY.
  The controller cannot bring the ladler to a controlled stop under these conditions. It is recommended that the CYCLE INTERRUPT or CYCLE PAUSE be used whenever possible to avoid rapid deceleration syndrome (i.e., abrupt stop).

• Keep all cabinet doors locked. Make keys available only to those qualified maintenance personnel who require access to the enclosures.



• Keep shields, covers, and other protective devices in place at all times during equipment operation. Exposed high voltage equipment is a potential hazard to personnel in the work area.



• ALWAYS lock the main power disconnect in the OFF position before opening the doors or removing access panels. Do not depend on interlock devices for protection. ALWAYS verify with a test meter that all circuits are de-energized BEFORE proceeding with any other testing.



• Use only proven test equipment when troubleshooting a unit or components. Follow manufacturer's recommended procedure.



• Prevent inadvertent application of power to the equipment while work is in progress in cubicles, on furnaces or the automatic pouring or charging equipment, by locking out the main power disconnect.



• Always follow recommended Lock Out/Tag Out procedures.



• Yellow wires inside the control cabinet indicate that these circuits may be energized from another source with the disconnect turned off.

• Only fire resistant hydraulic fluids should be used in Shamrock Automatic Ladling Systems and Ingot Loader Systems.



• More than one disconnect may be required to remove all electrical power to the system.



• Hydraulic tank heaters are usually powered from secondary sources and may require additional lockouts before servicing.

• All piping and hose used on pressure lines must be checked to insure that they are properly rated for the application.

• All troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair must be performed by a qualified maintenance person.



• Always make sure all safety devices are fully operational before allowing the operator to use the equipment.



• Always make sure that all awareness signals such as buzzers, beacons, and flashing lights on the equipment are fully operational.



• Study the maintenance procedures.



• Become familiar with the equipment and its operations before attempting maintenance of any kind.



• Regularly check the operation of awareness signals, E-stops, perimeter guarding interlocks and other Safety devices.



• Before performing any maintenance on your Shamrock ladler or ingot loader, the ladler or ingot loader arm should be returned to the home position as far away from the furnace and the molten metal bath as possible and completely powered down, locking the main disconnect breaker in the OFF (de-energized) position.



• In case of hydraulic maintenance, move the ladler or the ingot loader arm to the fully lowered position. In this position the arm cannot fall due to gravity during maintenance operations.



• Always follow recommended lockout/tagout procedures.

• Never enter the working space of the ladler or the ingot loader arm without powering down the machine and tagging and/or locking the main disconnect breaker in the OFF (de-energized) position.



• Be careful around high pressure lines, fittings, and equipment.

• Yellow wires inside the control cabinet indicate that these circuits may be energized from another source with the disconnect turned off.

VITON SEAL SAFETY ADVISORY Operators and maintenance staff working with Shamrock equipment should take careful note of an urgent safety hazard associated with oil seals and "O" rings made of a substance called VITON. VITON seals are used in Shamrock equipment.

While safe under designed operating conditions, VITON has been found to decompose into dangerous hydrofluoric acid if exposed to high temperatures. HYDROFLUORIC ACID IS EXTREMELY CORROSIVE AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE, PARTICULARLY FROM HUMAN TISSUE.

When inspecting equipment which has been exposed to a high temperature, check if any gaskets have suffered from decomposition. These will appear as a charred or black sticky mess. DO NOT TOUCH THIS SUBSTANCE!!

You must not, under any circumstances, touch either the seal or the equipment until a substantial cooling period has been allowed and the equipment has been decontaminated. Disposable, heavy-duty plastic gloves approved to withstand contact with hydrofluoric acid, safety glasses, and a face shield should be worn and the affected area should be cleaned using wire wool and a detergent solution. The gloves must be safely discarded immediately after use.

The following is a listing of some companies which manufacture or sell robot safety equipment and/or services. The listing was taken from reference sources and represents just some of the companies offering these products or services. It is not a recommendation or endorsement of any company's particular products or services. It is offered simply as a starting point for those seeking these products.

Wire Crafters
Tel: 800-626-1816
Fax: 502-361-3857
http://www.wirecrafters.com


Tapeswitch Corporation
100 Schmitt Boulevard
Farmingdale, NY 11735
Tel: 800-234-8273
E-mail:sales@tapeswitch.com

Smartscan Inc.
32841 Eight Mile Road
Livonia, MI 48152
Tel: 248-477-2900
Fax: 248-477-7453
http://www.smartscan.com

Banner Engineering Corp.
PO Box 9414
Minneapolis, MN 55440
Tel: 888-373-6767
     612-544-3164
Fax: 612-544-3213
E-mail:Sensors@baneng.com


Sick, Inc.
Safety Controls Division
6900 West 110th Street
Bloomington, MN 54438
Tel: 800-325-7425
     612-941-6780
Fax: 612-941-9287
http://www.sickoptic.com

Jesco Industries, Inc.
950 Anderson Road @ Robotic Drive
PO Box 388
Litchfield, MI 49252-0388
Tel: 800-609-8293
     517-542-2903
Fax: 517-542-2501
http://www.jesco-wipco.com

Leuze-Lumiflex, Inc.
300 Roundhill Drive
Unit 4
Rockaway, NJ 07866
Tel: 973-586-2500
Fax: 973-586-1590
http://www.leuze-lumiflex.com

Scientific Technologies, Inc.
6550 Dumbarton Circle
Fremont, CA 94555-3611
Tel: 800-527-0593
     888-510-4357
Fax: 510-744-1442
http://www.sti.com

The following is an alphabetical listing of some companies which manufacture or sell personal protective clothing and equipment for foundry workers. The listing was taken from reference sources and represents just some of the companies offering these products. It is not a recommendation or endorsement of any company's particular products or services. It is offered simply as a starting point for those seeking these products.

Allied Glove Corp.
431 N. 5th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53203
Tel: 414-272-0301
Fax: 414-272-0362

Cabot Safety Corp.
90 Mechanic St.
Southbridge, MA 01550-2555
Tel: 800-225-9038
Fax: 508-765-9305

Comasec Safety Inc.
PO Box 1219
8 Niblick Road
Enfield, CT 86082
Tel: 800-333-0219

DiVall Safety Equipment Inc.
1721 Niagra Street
Buffalo, NY 14207
Tel: 800-343-1354
Fax: 716-874-4686

Elwood Safety Co., Inc.
2180 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14216
Tel: 800-445-8946
Fax: 716-874-2110

Lab Safety Supply
PO Box 1368
Janesville, WI 53547
Tel: 800-356-0783
Fax: 800-543-9910

National Safety Apparel
3865 W. 150th Street
Cleveland, OH 44111
Tel: 800-553-0672
Fax: 216-941-1130

Northern Safety Co., Inc.
1914 Dwyer Avenue
Utica, NY 13501
Tel: 800-631-1246
Fax: 800-635-1591

PGI
PO Box 307
550 Commercial Avenue
Green Lake, WI 54941
Tel: 800-558-8290
Fax: 414-294-4307

Safepro Safety Products
3865 West 150th St.
Cleveland, OH 44111
Tel: 216-941-9400
Fax: 216-941-1130


Saf-T-Gard Corp.
205 Huehl Road
Dept. B
Northbrook, IL 60062
Tel: 800-548-4273
Fax: 708-291-1610

Safety Services, Inc.
5286 Wynn Road
PO Box 3539
Kalamazoo, MI 49003
Tel: 800-632-2955
Fax: 616-382-6277

Steel Grip Inc.
700 Garlfield Street
PO Box 747
Danville, IL 61832
Tel: 217-442-6240
Fax: 217-442-9370

Tempex Safety Products
Div. Of Gaskets, Inc.
301 Highway 16
Rio, WI 53960
Tel: 800-558-1833
Fax: 414-992-3124

OSHA, 3067, Concepts and Techniques of Machine Safeguarding

OSHA, Pub. 8-1.3, Guidelines for Robotics Safety

ANSI/RIA R15.06-1999, American National Standard for Industrial Robots and Robot Systems.
This standard may be obtained from the Robotic Industries Assoc. or the American National
Standards Institute.

Robotic Industries Association                  National Fire Protection Association
P.O. Box 3724                                   1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101
Ann Arbor, MI 48106                             Quincy, MA 02269-9101
Tel: 734-994-6088                               Tel: 617-770-3000
Fax: 734-994-3338                               Fax: 617-984-7110
http://www.robotics.org                           http://www.nfpa.org


American Foundry Society                        North American Die Casting Assoc.
505 State Street                                9701 West Higgins Road, Suite 880
Des Plaines, IL 60016-8399                      Rosemont, IL 60018-4721
Tel: 847-824-0181                               Tel: 847-292-3600
Fax: 847-824-7848                               Fax: 847-292-3620
http://www.afsinc.org                           E-mail: nadca@diecasting.org


American National Standards Institute, Inc.     U.S. Department of Labor
11 West 42nd Street                             Occupational Safety & Health
New York, NY 10036                              Administration (OSHA)
Tel: (212) 642-4900                             Office of Public Affairs - Room N3647
Fax: (212) 398-0023                             200 Constitution Avenue
http://www.ansi.org                             Washington, D.C. 20210
                                                Tel: 202 693-1999
                                                http://www.osha.gov