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PRODUCTS MACHINE BUILDING, FRAMEWORKS & SAFETY
SAFETY SOLUTION PROvIDES A ‘GLOBAL EMERGENCY STOP’ FOR STEEL PROCESSOR
Following an incident at a steel processing facility where sections of steel are welded into continuous sections, Safety Systems Technology was called in to assist with protective measures. To meet requirements, the company
developed a safety solution that replaces a system comprising standalone safety concepts on some machines facilitating rope switches on conveyors. The customer wanted a solution to provide an immediate safe ‘Global’ Emergency
Stop to prevent future incidents and enhance safety and visibility on site. Safety Systems Technology developed a single unified safety solution linking up machines and
conveyors. The conveyors are very long with significant distances between local safety concepts in order to support large sections of steel profile. The company therefore looked at the potential to create a configurable safety network of controllers. SICK’s Flexi Soft Solution was chosen to ensure that controllers communicate safely and effectively
across the large distances. Creating the largest span project in the UK, SICK Flexi Soft was used to daisy-chain field devices via Flexi Line, creating a unified safety system throughout the plant. A network of local control panels located around the facility creates four zones of operation. These are
connected to a new panel in the main welding house to facilitate the site-wide Global Emergency Stop function and Global Reset. This allows for the entire facility to be put into a safe state in the event of a hazardous situation. An overview of the whole system is displayed via a PLC on HMIs in real-time. SICK Flexi Soft modular safety controllers can be easily installed and programmed via intuitive,
license-free, Flexi Soft Designer configuration software. The controllers are networked together over a SICK Flexi Line Interface network to provide an expandable and configurable safety system capable of addressing all required safety functions and future safety requirements, with continuous diagnostics down to the automation level. Capable of achieving Performance Level E in accordance with EN ISO 13849-1, the SICK Flexi Soft
range allows for safe series connection, while the local modular hardware platform allows the creation of tailored and efficient solutions for many different applications. Wayne Morrison, SICK UK technology sales engineer, said: “SICK Flexi Soft solutions provide a
unified safety solution and peace of mind across industrial settings, including large-scale outdoor applications such as ports and construction sites.”
sicK
www.sick.com/ag/en/
electric linear actuator range can now achieve force of 445 kn
Tolomatic has extended the force of its electric linear actuators, making the new RSX50 suitable as a replacement for hydraulic actuators across applications such as metal forming and pressing, timber processing, automotive manufacturing, and construction. The RSX50 can
achieve force of 445 kN (100,000 lbf) with a maximum stroke length of 630mm and a speed up to 432mm per second. The linear actuator also features a dynamic load rating of 836 kN. High force is accompanied by accuracy, with a planetary roller screw option achieving ±0.023mm accuracy over 300mm stroke. Despite its high force, this is a compact
actuator with a lightweight footprint. Options are available for inline motor mounting that directly couples the driving shaft, or a reverse parallel configuration with the motor mounted alongside the actuator. The reverse parallel
1 desiGn solutions JUNE 2026 4
installation reduces overall length and offers a belt reduction drive with a 1:1 ratio. Optional geared motor reduction is also available, with built-in 4:1 or 6:1 reduction eliminating the need for external gearboxes. The actuator can support up to six million pressing moves at 100% of its rated values. Durability features include two roller bearings to support high axial loads and forces for long life, while additional composite bearings
prevent internal rotation
of the thrust tube. Of further benefit, the thrust tube itself has been coated with a salt bath nitride treatment that increases corrosion protection; and
the durable seal design prevents contaminants from entering the housing.
inmoco t: 01327 307600
www.inmoco.co.uk
Detection of metal is essential for ensuring food safety, however the type of product can interfere with detection signals and reduce sensitivity in dairy applications. For example, water is conductive, which
means dairy products can react differently in a food metal detector’s magnetic field. A solid block of cheese therefore behaves differently than grated, sliced or soft cheese, which could result in the product being rejected. To identify a metal contaminant within
conductive products, a metal detector must address product effect. Reducing the aperture size in relation to the product size can be a simple way to increase metal detector sensitivity and reduce this margin of error. Features like single pass product learning and automatic calibration can also help. However, with single frequency metal
detectors running ‘wet’ products there is often a trade-off between ferrous and stainless-steel performance depending on the selected frequency. Typically, higher frequencies exhibit increased performance in detecting stainless-steel versus ferrous metals. The best approach is to find a frequency that balances the lowest product effect with detection of target contaminants. To help, Fortress Technology’s Interceptor
software algorithms can adapt to these changing characteristics by distinguishing between product specific indicators and those that flag anomalies. Another useful tool is AutoPhase, which
can help to counteract product effect. For larger cheese blocks weighing up to 20kg, high product effect along with the product size adds another challenge, as product signature constantly shifts when a single block moves through a metal detector aperture. M-phase is an algorithm developed specifically for this unique effect. As an example, this has been adopted by
Vepo Cheese, which installed seven identical incline Interceptor metal detectors to overcome product effect on their grated cheese lines. These are equipped with data reporting to enhance traceability.
fortress technology
https://fortresstechnology.com/
www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk
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Feature
metal detectors
overcome ‘product effect’ in dairy applications
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