Retrofit Guide: From Fenced to Shared Space

Prioritize workflow efficiency over rigid barriers in machine guarding design.

Fences made sense when cells stayed fixed and people stayed out. Many plants now need the opposite: shared space for quality checks, replenishment, and flexible work.

A retrofit fails when teams try to “remove the fence” without redesigning the safety model. Shared space requires:

• Defined safe behaviors (reduced speed vs stop)

• Measured stop times and validated assumptions

• Sensing coverage that matches real access

• Change control for future modifications

SR-1 enables shared-space designs by using redundant 3D sensing to detect people in the workspace and trigger consistent safety outputs. That allows you to redesign the cell around work flow, not hard barriers.

A practical retrofit path:

1. Identify the hazards and the required behaviors by zone

2. Measure stop time under real conditions

3. Design coverage and zone intent around actual tasks

4. Validate and document the safety function

5. Add change control so the design stays valid

Shared space is not “less safe.” It can be safer than a fence plus workarounds if you design it correctly.

Talk to an expert. We’ll review a layout and recommend a retrofit approach with minimal downtime.