AP&T Moving Bolster includes optical scanner for operator safety

AP&T has developed a new generation of Moving Bolster, designed for quick and safe changing of tools weighing 33 tons and more. It is available for all of the company’s newly manufactured presses.

Featuring an entirely electric drive, the unit can be conveyed in and out of the press in any direction. According to the company, entire tool changes can be executed using a few clicks of a button.

An optical scanner continuously registers what is going on in front of the bolster, and it communicates with the control system. The scanner can be programmed so that the area in the direction of motion is divided into an outer and an inner safety zone. If a person or an object is discovered to be in the outer zone, the speed is automatically reduced. If a person or an object is discovered to be in the inner zone, the bolster stops completely.