Guarding against traditional thinking
24 September 2008
In line with other industries, the food sector needs to take a more flexible, integrated approach to guarding has led to many benefits
Machine guarding in food manufacturing is still predominantly the preserve of welded steel. And owing to the high degree of automation now in evidence in the sector, the requirement for guarding systems is strong. However, while steel and increasingly stainless-steel holds sway where naked food is present, a little lateral thinking regarding guarding, once the product is wrapped, can lead to lifetime cost savings.
Out of the packing hall and into the palletising areas there is increasing automation with pallet wrappers, conveyors and even multi-axis robots to consider. It is in this environment where those charged with protecting the safety of their workforce might want to consider aluminium guarding instead of immediately specifying steel.
Bosch Rexroth’s aluminium EcoSafe system meets the most stringent guarding legislation (EN292, 294 and 811) and helps systems conform to the Machinery Directive. This lightweight, flexible solution facilitates maintenance and any future modifications, while still being robust enough to offer a high degree of safety for personnel.
The EcoSafe protective barrier system, when compared with heavy, cumbersome and corrosion-prone traditional steel guarding has numerous benefits. Its modular, durable design eliminates the need for welding, painting, special tooling and skilled labour. Plus, the bolted design allows for rapid assembly, disassembly and re-use, enhancing overall flexibility.
In any business upfront cost is of course still a consideration and with the price of steel continuing to rise and the price of aluminium continuing to fall the differential between the two types of systems is beginning to narrow considerably. In terms of lifetime cost though there is no comparison. The lightweight, modular EcoSafe system is quick and easy to install and is also simple to reconfigure when a robot or a machine needs to be taken out for maintenance or for when the entire line needs to be reconfigured.
There is an old adage – any engineer worth his salt designs his own guarding. With the CAD planning software that is available for EcoSafe this just seems like a tremendous waste of time and having used CAD to design the installation, assembly couldn’t be simpler. After marking the perimeter on the floor the support posts are anchored, ‘hook and hang’ brackets are installed and then screwed into place.
Looks are everything: In the hard-nosed manufacturing world it is perhaps surprising the looks of the EcoSafe system are so highly valued. The system provides a ‘corporate feel’ as its anodised surfaces offer a clean finish. The EcoSafe system offers the option of wire-mesh screens or protective panels, in some installations the wire mesh has been left in the original colour of grey with the inner sections galvanised to resist fluids thrown off during the process.
Integration: Hugely important is the ease with which the Rexroth system can be integrated with other suppliers’ products. Access is obviously a major issue regarding machinery guarding: if it is too complicated or unwieldy to gain access to a certain machine, then productivity can be affected and employees may look for an opportunity to ‘bypass’ the safety fencing; if access can be gained too readily then there is the possibility of an employee venturing close to a process which has not finished its cycle. There is a delicate balance to be struck.
Prior to the installation of a system Rexroth works in association with its sales partners, the installation of the system is then merely a matter of bolting to the fencing panels provided. To complement the introduction of EcoSafe, Rexroth has also increased its range of accessories to allow the rapid development of custom barrier systems.
For example, clamping profiles are available for vibration free support of different strength panes and panels ranging from 1.5 to 11mm thick. Factory trained structural framing experts (via authorised sales partners) provide support during the design, engineering and application stages. This UK wide network stocks a full inventory of common components, with users able to take delivery of their system in bulk, kit or fully assembled form.
Other products that the fence line can integrate are light guards, light scanners and signal towers. Retrofitting these devices is simplicity itself due to EcoSafe’s design. Installing a signal tower for example simply requires brackets to be fitted into the grooves on the profiles, a process that with a traditional steel guarding system would have required extensive cutting and re-welding.
With the specification of the EcoSafe product, companies are looking for a lightweight, flexible, affordable guarding system provided by a supplier that had the necessary infrastructure to support the project through its various phases. As importantly, because of the ease of design of the EcoSafe product and the speed with which it can be installed, then the lifetime cost of an EcoSafe system is 70% that of a welded steel system.
Contact Details and Archive...
Related Articles...
Most Viewed Articles...