To run your operation at peak efficiency, without compromising product quality or profitability, you need machinery that is safe and easy to operate and maintain.
Solutionz Electrical & Automation offers a full service of machine safety solutions. Our process and expertise will help guide you from initial risk assessment to compliance by conducting machine audits and providing documentation. All the time meeting the appropriate standards (AS/NZS 4024)
We can then follow right through to the implementation phase, thus ensuring your plant is both producing quality products and protecting the safety of plant operators in the smoothest and most cost effective methods possible.
Upgrades vs new installation:
Upgrading the safety on an existing machine is quite different to designing and building a new installation. Taking into consideration the existing functionality of the machine along with the production requirements and working within the site specs and machine parameters, Solutionz can guide you through the details and requirements to implement a positive outcome for an upgrade and minimize production down time and provide a seamless integration.
Solutionz Electrical & Automation have many years of experience in providing functional safety solutions for many companies in a variety of different industries. Solutionz Electrical has a TÜV certified functional safety engineer on staff which means you can be sure that any advice given to you is of a global standard. We offer a no obligation, free 1 hour assessment of your workplace with a written report following. Give us a call if you have any questions about functional safety and how it can impact on your business future success.
Points:
- Machine Guarding Risk Assessment
- Machine safety advice
- Safety Requirement Specification (SRS)
- Selection of safety devices, controllers and PLCs
- Programming of controllers and safety PLCs
- Full installation of safety systems
- Validation documentation review
- Machine safety Validation
- Project management
- Electrical Safety Assessments and auditing
Safety controllers & Safety PLC’s:
Depending on the requirements of your application there are advantages and disadvantages to using different configurations of Safety controllers and PLC’s
It’s important that this is thought through in detail to ensure that the correct components are used for your specific application. This can help improve the reliability of the machine and future proof the machine for any changes in standards or operational requirements in the future.
Some examples of safety controllers and PLC’s that our team have experience with are as follows:
SICK Flexisoft
Rockwell Guardlogix
Siemen Simatic Safety
PILZ Safety Controllers
Wieland safety controllers
ASIMON Safety (AS-i)
What Is AS/NZS 4024
The objective of the AS/NZS 4024 series is to enable those who design, manufacture, supply, control, use and maintain machinery to minimize the risk to the health and safety of people working with or near machinery, by providing technical principles for the design, manufacture, maintenance and use for the machine systems.
The latest release of updates to AS4024.x specification brings it into line with the most recent international standards. ISO13849.1:2006 has been adopted as AS/NZs4024.1503:2014 to include a raft of functional safety methods that have seen widespread utilitisation throughout the process control industry for some time.
Whenever a new machine is added to an existing production line, it is important to assess the machine both as a standalone item, and as a part of the whole system. These assessments enable baseline safety issues to be addressed while using the item in its existing configuration, but also for understanding safety implications if changes are made to production. If proper assessments aren’t completed by certified safety experts, there is risk of liability in the case of a safety incident.
It’s also important to remember that existing machinery in your plant aren’t exempt from these standards. We often hear that the machine has been in place forever and only the trained operators use it. Unfortunately. it’s your responsibility to ensure that these machines meet the same safety standards. This may mean that additional guarding will need to be put in place or the safety control circuit needs updating.
We can help.
Get in touch with our team to see how we can assist in upgrading, improving and maintaining your production facility so that it’s a safe and productive place for all employees to work.