Feature Health & safety
How to keep abrasives as safe as possible
Nigel Willcock, of diversified technology company 3M’s abrasive systems division, looks at the issue of abrasives when ensuring processes and systems are as safe as possible and how this can go a long way towards optimising productivity and efficiency
ealth and safety is no longer just an irritant for industrial finishing workshops, but is integral to everyday operations. Getting it right is not just a legal requirement but can reduce insurance premiums and costs associated with employee sickness. Indeed when it comes to abrasives, ensuring processes and systems are as safe as possible goes a long way towards optimising productivity and efficiency. This is true of capital equipment, consum- ables, and ancillary items such as safety flooring.
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Minimising exposure to vibration Perhaps the most significant safety issue in abrasive products selection is vibration. Employees subject to excess vibration could become affected by hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). This can manifest itself in symptoms including Vibration White Finger (VWF), a whitening of the fingers which can lead to circulatory, joint, muscle and nerve problems. In the worst cases, the employee has to stop work altogether and, with both of these being recognised industrial dis- eases, may consider legal action if they believe they have been subjected to excessive vibration.
This area is becoming subject to tighter legislation. The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 place a clear duty on employers to safeguard their staff. Vibration is mea- sured using a sensor that is placed on the tool or part where the operator nor- mally holds it, and is calculated by summing the accelerations measured along the three principal axes, with exposure values calculated by averag- ing the exposure over eight hours. For equipment purchased before 6th July 2007, these vibration levels come into force from 6th July 2010. However, recent innovations by the leading manufacturers are making processes safer and less physically demanding – indeed going a long way towards ensuring equipment complies
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with the regulations – with no nega- tive impact on quality or productivity. These include flexible discs for weld grinding, de-scaling, heavy deburring and deflashing of flame cut parts. These resin-bonded products, with their thin, flexible construction, offer better balance characteristics and so significantly reduce vibration. Meanwhile, coated abrasive belts deliver a fast cut and more consistent finish, providing a lower-vibration alternative to grinding wheels.
Mineral developments
Diversified technology company 3M’s flexible grinding discs and coated abrasive belts draw on extensive research and development in mineral technology. They use Cubitron, a ceramic aluminium oxide mineral containing multiple layers of abrasive, with each structure exposing a new layer as it wears down to deliver a con- sistent, predictable finish. This tech- nology reduces the pressure the operator needs to apply, and can even cut process steps, lowering the time spent at the abrasive stage and opera- tor exposure to vibration.
The force being applied by any machinery can also impact on health and safety. Typically, an abrasive disc and a backing pad will be fixed to the machine. However, too soft a backing
Top right: 3M’s flexible grinding discs
pad may not deliver a sufficiently aggressive action. Here, replacement with a ribbed high-performance pad will enhance reinforcement and assist in delivering the required impact pres- sure, without adding to vibration.
Nigel Willcock of 3M’s Abrasive Systems Division
Eliminating wire brushes Another potential health and safety problem occurs when wire brushes are used for applications such as the removal of weld discoloration, clean- ing, finishing and deburring where extreme conformability is required. Wire brushes present a potentially sig- nificant hazard for operators as small pieces of wire can become detached from the brush as it wears and fly off. Another method of removing weld discoloration is the use of pickling acids which not only give off unpleas- ant fumes, but are corrosive and harm- ful if splashed onto the skin, and present potential environmental issues if not disposed of correctly.
3M’s abrasive belts draw on extensive research and develoment in mineral technology
One solution which addresses both issues is individual moulded discs impregnated with abrasive and then grouped together to form a brush. Bristle technology, again developed by 3M, can be adapted depending on the aggression and conformability required, or offered in a single disc format for direct mounting onto an angle grinder. These products offer optimal safety with no risk of flying debris from the brush or disc, alongside minimal vibration and noise. And, unlike some traditional abrasive products which wear at uneven rates across their sur- face, the uniform wear delivered by the ceramic aluminium oxide mineral means they can be used until the min- eral is completely worn out. Combining an optimal working environment with the most appropri- ate equipment will not only contribute to reduced work-related sickness among operators, but will in fact enhance productivity by reducing process steps and time spent at the abrasive stage.
3M T: 08705 360036
www.3M.co.uk/abrasives Enter 302 MAY 2011 Factory Equipment
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