Machine Guards
Rack Guards
A rack guard is deliberately low. At 9 inches it takes the hit from a fork tine or a pallet corner without fouling the pallet that has to be entered…
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Dock Equipment · Machine Guards
Machine Guard Rails In 36 and 48 Inch Heights
A machine guard rail protects a line rather than a point. Two bolt-down posts carry one or two horizontal rails along the aisle side of a machine, a panel or a work cell, so a pallet truck that drifts out of the aisle meets steel instead of the machine frame.
Product Overview
What This Product Is and Where It Fits
S&L lists the range as SL-MG-01 through SL-MG-06, covering single rail, double rail and curved end configurations. The published size sheet works on three variables: height, length and tube diameter.
Heights are 36 and 48 inches. The 36 inch rail sits below the eye line of a seated operator and is the usual choice along a machine face. The 48 inch rail is specified where the hazard is the machine itself rather than the traffic, for example at the open side of a press or a conveyor transfer.
Lengths of 10, 24 and 42 inches let a run be built up from standard sections rather than fabricated to a one-off dimension, which matters when a cell is relocated later.
Tube diameter follows the same logic as the bollard range: 4 inch tube for general aisle protection, 5 inch where the realistic impact is a loaded counterbalance truck.
Key Benefits
Three Reasons Buyers Specify This Line
Builds a run from standard lengths
Three published lengths cover most machine faces without a fabrication drawing, and sections can be re-used when the cell moves.
Two heights for two different hazards
36 inch for traffic protection along a machine face, 48 inch where the guard is also keeping people out of a machine's working envelope.
Same finish and fixing as the bollard range
A site can specify bollards and rails together and get one anchor pattern, one paint colour and one spares list.
Application Scenarios
- Aisle side of CNC machines, presses and moulding cells
- Control panels, isolators and HMI stands
- Conveyor transfer points and discharge ends
- Compressor rooms and electrical enclosures
- Walkway edges where a pedestrian route crosses a traffic aisle
Who It Is For
- Plant engineers laying out a cell where traffic passes close to a machine
- Health and safety managers closing out an impact-risk finding
- Machine builders quoting a turnkey cell that has to include guarding
- Distributors supplying guard rail to manufacturing customers
Problems It Solves
- Machine frames and panels struck by pallet trucks passing the cell
- Cable runs and conduit torn off a machine base by a fork tine
- No physical separation between a walkway and a traffic aisle
- One-off fabricated guards that cannot be moved when the cell is relocated
Technical Features
What Is Actually Published For This Line
Six published configurations
SL-MG-01 to SL-MG-06 cover double rail, single rail and curved end guards on bolt-down posts.
36 and 48 inch heights
Two standard heights across every length and tube size.
10, 24 and 42 inch lengths
Standard rail lengths that build into a continuous run.
4 and 5 inch tube
Two tube diameters for general and heavy traffic positions.
Specifications
Machine Guard Rails Specification Table
Every figure below is transcribed from the specification sheets S&L published for this line. Where a figure is not published, it is marked rather than estimated.
| Description | Height in | Length in | Tube Diameter in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Guard | 36 | 10 | 4 |
| Machine Guard | 36 | 24 | 4 |
| Machine Guard | 36 | 42 | 4 |
| Machine Guard | 48 | 10 | 4 |
| Machine Guard | 48 | 24 | 4 |
| Machine Guard | 48 | 42 | 4 |
| Machine Guard | 36 | 10 | 5 |
| Machine Guard | 36 | 24 | 5 |
| Machine Guard | 36 | 42 | 5 |
| Machine Guard | 48 | 10 | 5 |
| Machine Guard | 48 | 24 | 5 |
| Machine Guard | 48 | 42 | 5 |
Source: S&L machine guard size sheet published by S&L Dock Equipment.
| Description | Height in | Length in | Tube Diameter in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machinery Guard | 16 | 36 | 4.5 |
| Machinery Guard | 16 | 48 | 4.5 |
| Machinery Guard | 24 | 36 | 4.5 |
| Machinery Guard | 24 | 48 | 4.5 |
| Machinery Guard | 36 | 36 | 4.5 |
| Machinery Guard | 36 | 48 | 4.5 |
| Machinery Guard | 42 | 48 | 4.5 |
Source: S&L bollard and guard size sheet published by S&L Dock Equipment.
Product Photography
Machine Guard Rails As Supplied
Every photograph below is from the S&L product records for this line. Nothing is a stock image or a rendering.
Materials
Materials and Finish
Steel tube posts and rails on welded base plates, painted safety yellow. Wall thickness is not published on the original size sheet and is confirmed at quotation.
ManufacturingHow It Is Made
Posts and rails are cut to the listed sizes, base plates welded and drilled, the assembly cleaned, then painted safety yellow.
Quality Control
What Is Checked Before Packing
Height, length, tube diameter and base plate pattern are checked against the size sheet. Rail level and post squareness are checked on assembly.
CertificationsCertification Status
No third-party certification is published for Machine Guard Rails in S&L's own documentation, so this page marks it TBC at quotation rather than implying one. Where a guard is part of a machinery risk assessment, the question is usually whether the rail meets a stated impact energy rather than whether it carries a mark. Send the energy figure your assessment used and S&L will confirm what it can support.
Customisation
Options Within The Published Range
- Any published height, length and tube combination
- Single or double rail
- Curved end sections for corners and column positions
- Rail runs assembled from multiple standard lengths
Comparison
How It Compares With The Alternatives
| Option | When To Choose It |
|---|---|
| Machine guard rail | Protects a run: machine faces, panel banks, walkway edges. |
| Steel safety bollard | Protects a point: a door jamb, a corner, a single service. |
| Rack guard | Protects the bottom 9 inches of a rack bay without blocking pallet entry. |
Use Guide
Getting It Right On Site
- Measure the face to be protected and pick the nearest combination of standard lengths
- Set the guard far enough off the machine that a struck rail cannot transfer load into the frame
- Fix posts to the slab with anchors rated for the slab thickness
- Re-check post torque after the first month of traffic, then on the normal inspection round
Questions
Machine Guard Rails Questions
Which height should I order, 36 or 48 inch?
36 inch is the usual choice for protecting a machine from traffic. Choose 48 inch where the rail also has to keep people clear of the machine's own working envelope.
What is the difference between the 4 inch and 5 inch tube?
Both are listed for every height and length. Specify 5 inch tube where a loaded counterbalance truck striking the guard at speed is a realistic event.
Can rails be joined into a longer run?
Yes. The 10, 24 and 42 inch lengths are designed to be built up into a continuous run on shared posts.
Do the SL-MG models differ in specification or only in shape?
SL-MG-01 to SL-MG-06 are configuration variants, single rail, double rail and curved end. The dimensional options are the same size list.
Are the rails supplied assembled?
Assembly and packing arrangements are confirmed at quotation, since they affect freight cost on an export shipment.
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Further Reading
Quote Machine Guard Rails By Model Code
Give the height, length and tube diameter per run, and say how many runs, so the quotation covers posts and rails together.