VDWF's Guidelines for Safe Transport Bridges in Tool & Mould Manufacturing

VDWF guideline Simple Excel tool supports the design of transport bridges

2024-09-17 Source: VDWF 2 min Reading Time

The ‘Guideline for the static design of transport bridges in tool and mould making,’ developed by the VDWF, enhances safety in manufacturing. It provides essential design guidelines and includes an Excel tool that automatically generates the appropriate transport bridge profile.

The guidelines include specifications for labelling, inspection, maintenance and documentation of the transport bridge to ensure its long-term safety and load-bearing capacity.(Source: VDWF) — The guidelines include specifications for labelling, inspection, maintenance and documentation of the transport bridge to ensure its long-term safety and load-bearing capacity.
(Source: VDWF)

Transport bridges are used for the safe handling of tools and moulds in production. They are a fixed part of a tool or mould and, in addition to their load-bearing capacity, also ensure that the individual parts that can move in relation to one another cannot slip apart. The Association of German Tool and Mould Makers (VDWF) has now responded to the request, which has been expressed multiple times, for an uncomplicated verification of the safety of such transport bridges: Under the leadership of Dirk Falke, a 10-page guideline has been developed.

With clear requirements for calculation methods, static design, national and international norms and standards, as well as materials and construction, the guidelines are intended to ensure that conveyor bridges are constructed in such a way that they meet the specific requirements of tool users. “Companies are responsible for ensuring that their employees only work with equipment that has been proven to be safe,” explains Falke. At the same time, this proof must be provided as quickly and smoothly as possible, which is now the case thanks to the new guideline and the tools it provides, explains the engineer. Values such as the weight of the tool, the holding point distance, screw and material specifications, etc. can be entered into a simple Excel spreadsheet to obtain proof that the dimensioned transport bridge meets all safety requirements.

Reliable results with minimal effort

The “Guideline for the static design of transport bridges in tool and mould making” also includes specifications for labelling, inspection, maintenance and documentation of the transport bridge to ensure its long-term safety and load-bearing capacity. This serves to detect damage that may occur outside the control of the tool and mould making company. “Ultimately, the toolmaker should not have to be liable for something for which he is not responsible,” emphasises Falke.

All in all, then, the new guideline offers verification of safety standards — and thus of occupational health and safety — while at the same time being easy to use. Falke assures us that the effort required is minimal, that the tool is easy to use and that the result is comprehensively reliable — and therefore a great support for designers. Special thanks go to the experts at RUD Ketten in Aalen for their significant technical support in developing the guideline.

The guideline can be obtained free of charge with immediate effect at vdwf.de/shop.

(ID:50167298)

Subscribe to the newsletter now

Don't Miss out on Our Best Content

Business E-mail

Please enter a valid mailadress.

By clicking on „Subscribe to Newsletter“ I agree to the processing and use of my data according to the consent form (please expand for details) and accept the Terms of Use. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy. The consent declaration relates, among other things, to the sending of editorial newsletters by email and to data matching for marketing purposes with selected advertising partners (e.g., LinkedIn, Google, Meta)

Date: 08.12.2025

Naturally, we always handle your personal data responsibly. Any personal data we receive from you is processed in accordance with applicable data protection legislation. For detailed information please see our privacy policy.

Consent to the use of data for promotional purposes

I hereby consent to Vogel Communications Group GmbH & Co. KG, Max-Planck-Str. 7-9, 97082 Würzburg including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG (hereafter: Vogel Communications Group) using my e-mail address to send editorial newsletters. A list of all affiliated companies can be found here

Newsletter content may include all products and services of any companies mentioned above, including for example specialist journals and books, events and fairs as well as event-related products and services, print and digital media offers and services such as additional (editorial) newsletters, raffles, lead campaigns, market research both online and offline, specialist webportals and e-learning offers. In case my personal telephone number has also been collected, it may be used for offers of aforementioned products, for services of the companies mentioned above, and market research purposes.

Additionally, my consent also includes the processing of my email address and telephone number for data matching for marketing purposes with select advertising partners such as LinkedIn, Google, and Meta. For this, Vogel Communications Group may transmit said data in hashed form to the advertising partners who then use said data to determine whether I am also a member of the mentioned advertising partner portals. Vogel Communications Group uses this feature for the purposes of re-targeting (up-selling, cross-selling, and customer loyalty), generating so-called look-alike audiences for acquisition of new customers, and as basis for exclusion for on-going advertising campaigns. Further information can be found in section “data matching for marketing purposes”.

In case I access protected data on Internet portals of Vogel Communications Group including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG, I need to provide further data in order to register for the access to such content. In return for this free access to editorial content, my data may be used in accordance with this consent for the purposes stated here. This does not apply to data matching for marketing purposes.

Right of revocation

I understand that I can revoke my consent at will. My revocation does not change the lawfulness of data processing that was conducted based on my consent leading up to my revocation. One option to declare my revocation is to use the contact form found at https://contact.vogel.de. In case I no longer wish to receive certain newsletters, I have subscribed to, I can also click on the unsubscribe link included at the end of a newsletter. Further information regarding my right of revocation and the implementation of it as well as the consequences of my revocation can be found in the data protection declaration, section editorial newsletter.