Chuck guard are safety devices that protect workers from the excess shavings, shards, tool bits and chips of material that may fly from working machines and cause injury. They are simple curved pieces of material that are attached to the machinery by a bracket and screws.
Where Are Chuck Guards Found?
Guards are used mostly on lathes, machines that spin at high RPM (rotations per minute) to form metal, wood and glass products. Lathes commonly use chucks, which are clamping devices used to hold the rotating tools and materials in place. In order to easily access the lathe, all guards are attached to the chuck and are able to be swung or lifted away. Guards are common items in manufacturing facilities and factories to protect workers around metal spinning, glass blowing, sanding and shearing operations.
Chuck Guards should be purchased in addition to protective goggles and clothing to prevent workers from being hit or cut with debris flying off the lathe, which is rotating at a very high RPM (rotations per minute). The debris, while usually small, travels at high speeds and is therefore considered dangerous to workers. Guards are simple and effective solutions to the dangers of working with lathes.
How Guards Are Made?
Chuck guards are commonly made out of a clear thermoplastic material, often polycarbonate, which is corrosion resistant, durable, shatter proof and able to withstand continuous high impact. These panels are a safer and longer lasting alternative to glass. Its transparency is very important so workers can still see the fabrication process going on behind it. Lathes that are hand-operated require clear guards, while automated machinery doesn’t need transparency and use guards made of metal, commonly steel.
All guards, however, must be fabricated from material that is able to withstand continuous high impact. They are made from material that is thin and slightly curved, often from extrusion or a plastic molding process. Its size depends on the center height of the lathe and the diameter of the chuck, and can range from very small, for applications like candlestick making, to extremely large for pressure vessel fabrication. Larger guards have a support bar to ensure it stays in place.
Chuck guard is a material that is useful in many different industries. If you are currently working in these industries, you are probably familiar with this type of guard already. But in case you weren’t aware, this tool is not only for your tool’s protection, but it also acts as a protector or shield to your operators.
Injuring an employee or staff is not only costly, it is the last thing anyone wants to happen to their staff if it could have otherwise been prevented. Therefore there is no excuse to not include chuck guard in your facility.