The Heavy Duty Actuator range at Fortress hosts a whole variety of Robust entry access solutions with a retention force of 10,000N.
“Retention force – the force preventing the actuator from exiting the interlock in the locked state, thus preventing access to the safeguarded space”
We recognise that machine guarding applications often have a degree of variability and that guards move over time during use, Fortress provides market leading misalignment capability in the actuator offerings.

Heavy-Duty Actuator Options
EN (No Internal Handle) | EF (Internal Handle no Escape Release) | EI (Handle with Escape Release) | EJ (Escape Release Handle with Internal Close)

EN
Ergonomic Handle for machine guarding, but no method to open the door from inside.
EF

Ergonomic Handle for machine guarding. Internal access handle allows guard to be opened from the inside when the main unit is unlock.
EI
Red Handle overrides all locking mechanisms and opens safety contacts to allow escape release.
EJ
Red Handle overrides all locking mechanisms and opens safety contacts to allow escape release AND the red handle can be used to close the guard from the inside.
Single Action Escape Release (EI)
The single-action escape release handle is designed to provide instant means to escape a hazard with an integrated reactive inhibit function.
The ergonomic design of the handle allows for ease of operation, whilst providing industry leading protection against unsafe access.
Part Number | EI2 (pictured – for left sliding or hinging guards) | EI4 (right sliding or hinging guards)
When should this actuator be used?
The EI handle is typically used on heavy-duty machine guarding applications where whole body access is performed and protection is required in the event operators are trapped inside the safeguarded space.
Integrated Hinged Handle
The integrated hinged handle offers an ergonomic solution to open a hinged guard from outside a safeguarded space.
The high misalignment tongue offers easy adjustability to guarding as it deforms or moves during it’s lifecycle.
Part Number | HL1 (pictured – for guards which hinge or slide to the left or right)
When should this actuator be used?
The hinged handle actuator is best for controlled access hinged guard applications where the actuator is retained in the interlock by either trapped key or solenoid locking.
Fixed Tongue
The fixed tongue actuator is designed for use with hinged or sliding guards and is ideal for dusty environments. All tongue actuators are designed with a slotted space in their center for application of lock-out padlocks which prevent the actuator being inserted into the compatible interlock.
When should this actuator be used?
The fixed tongue actuator is used for fixed sliding guarding, or hinging guarding down to a radius of 750mm (TA) or 250mm (SA) where door grip solutions already exist on the guarding.
When should this actuator be used?
The heavy duty actuator is the perfect solution for applications where robustness is paramount.
Rotary Insertion Handle
The rotary insertion handle utilises the turning motion of the actuator to hold a door closed preventing nuisance trips. The handle can be rotated in 45° increments to provide a comfortable operable grip and rotated 180° for on site handing changes. The sprung return on the handle clears the actuator away from the interlock when a guard is opened, and allows for guard misalignment.
When should this actuator be used?
The rotary insertion handle is typically used for safety switches. Where linear insertion actuators could be prone to nuisance trips under high vibration where no locking component is present, the rotary insertion actuator ensures the guard remains closed.

MA
Rotary Insertion Handle
TA
Fixed Tongue Actuator
EI
Escape Release Ergonomic Handle
TN
Heavy Duty Tongue Slide-bar