Rockford Systems, LLC., a premier provider of machine safeguarding products and services, today announced a distribution partnership with Unitrol Electronics, Inc. As a distribution partner, Rockford Systems will provide sales, installation and technical support on the revolutionary Soft Touch Pinch-Point Safety System for spot welder and pneumatic riveter customers, designed to enhance worker safety and help avoid pinch-point injuries. 

Soft Touch is a passive, fail-safe system that prevents riveters, spot welders and other small machines from cycling if the system detects fingers in the point-of-operation area, while not interfering with the production process during normal operations. Versatile by design, Soft Touch is easy to install on pneumatic riveters and resistance welders, such as spot welders, rocker arm welders, portable gun welders, and hanging gun welders performing spot, projection and seam welding. Since its introduction thousands of Soft Touch systems have been successfully deployed around the world. 

"The addition of Soft Touch to our pinch-point safeguarding product portfolio provides Rockford Systems another opportunity to do what we do best:  help improve operator safety by reducing machine injury risks," said Carrie Halle, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Rockford Systems, LLC. "We are very excited to introduce the Soft Touch Safety System for pneumatic riveters and resistance welders that:  1) cannot be bypassed by operators, 2) will not slow down production, 3) was co-developed by OSHA, and 4) protects employers and workers from potential finger or hand amputations."

Prevent pinch-point injuries

Spot welding and riveting can be exceptionally dangerous jobs. Most spot welding and riveting machines complete a full sequence automatically when initiated, regardless of what is between their electrodes where up to 12,000 pounds per square inch (PSI) of force is delivered to the production parts. Because operators often need to hold parts close to moving electrodes, hands or fingers can be caught between the tips resulting in amputations and other crippling injuries. According to OSHA 80 percent of hand injuries are caused by pinch points.

To prevent these types of injuries, Soft Touch measures electrical continuity between the electrodes to verify they are actually touching the part that is being welded. In the event an operator's fingers or hands blocks the movement of the electrode, Soft Touch will not detect continuity and the electrodes will open automatically, not going into riveting or welding force. Electrodes only increase to full force after contacting the metal part being welded or riveted.

Unlike other welding safeguarding systems, Soft Touch cannot be removed, circumvented or tampered with by the operator, nor it does not depend on a mechanical probe requiring continuous adjustments to fit different metal parts. Moreover, Soft Touch includes a Tip Dress switch to bring the electrodes together under low force during electrode dressing, replacement, or alignment procedures, therefore solving the problem of operator protection during electrode maintenance.

Soft Touch is backed by a five-year prorated warranty. For pricing and availability, visit www.rockfordsystems.com.

About Rockford Systems, LLC

Headquartered in Rockford, Illinois, Rockford Systems, LLC delivers trusted machine safeguarding solutions for organizations working with industrial machinery. As a trusted adviser since 1971, Rockford Systems helps organizations interpret and apply complex Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) machine safety standards for a broad array of industrial applications. In addition, Rockford Systems provides complete Turnkey Machine Safeguarding Management Solutions, including machine safeguarding assessments, machine risk assessments, customized build-to-spec integration, over 10,000 safeguarding products, expert installation services, training and technical support, and ongoing compliance validation. Rockford Systems has improved the profitability of many of North America's largest companies by increasing compliance, reducing worker risk, enhancing productivity and decreasing cost.

About Unitrol Electronics, Inc.

Located in Northbrook, Illinois, Unitrol Electronics, Inc. designs and produces innovative products in the resistance welding and safety industries. Incorporated in 1986, Unitrol has been recognized as the leader in resistance welding and mechanical joining equipment safety since 2005 through its patented SOFT TOUCH system. Growing out of a metal fabricating company in Chicago, Illinois, the systems created and produced by Unitrol reflect actual shop-floor experience. Unitrol also produces cutting-edge resistance welding controls and chilled water systems. Unitrol is also part of the Resistance Welding Manufacturing Alliance (RWMA) that is a standing committee of the American Welding Society (AWS). A large body of articles and papers have been produced by Unitrol for publication in the Welding Journal, Welding Today, Practical Welding, and the Fabricator as well as being presented at annual Sheetmetal Conferences. This dedication by Unitrol to technical and safety education makes this company stand above the rest of the industry.