FEATURE Sensors
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Smart safety helps productivity with packaging machinery
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By Dr Martin Kidman, Product Manager for Safety Systems at SICK UK Smart Box Detection
nsuring the safety of personnel who operate packaging and related materials-handling machinery is a common concern
for manufacturers, and particularly in food, beverage and pharmaceutical production. Injuries sustained during operation and maintenance or when clearing blockages could be serious and even fatal. Conveyors, for example, are involved in 30% of all machinery accidents in the food and drink industry – more than any other class of machine.
Of course, machinery safety regulations and standards are there to protect employees, but a well-designed safety system will also be one that can enable productivity and optimise operating effi ciency. Interestingly, manufacturers with the best safety records are often also those with the highest productivity. With digitilisation and the use of intelligent sensing systems, operators now have an opportunity to use robust safety systems that also optimise the onward fl ow of goods in high-speed production environments. They avoid unnecessary stoppages and downtime, while continuing to protect people.
Safeguard Detector The SICK Safeguard Detector addresses a common safety concern for packaging machinery that can cause injury to operators. A machine operator is protected from being injured as long as the fi lling magazine contains material, for example fl at carton blanks. That protection is gone as soon as the magazine is empty. The operating mechanism of the packaging machine is then left exposed, posing a serious risk of injury. There is a risk that operators may look to avoid stopping the machine, because of the consequent downtime, reaching into the empty mechanism, evading the safety system – if one even exists. The SICK Safeguard Detector is a certifi ed safety system that protects operators from being injured if they reach in to refi ll a magazine whilst a machine is running. Quick-fi t safety protection is provided
30 March 2023 | Automation
to PLd for any printing, packaging and carton machinery with fl at sheet feeding. A warning alarm is triggered when the minimum material fi ll level is reached and the machine shuts off automatically when the magazine is critically low or empty. The Safeguard Detector solution means there’s no need for elaborate extensions to the magazine, safety cages or complicated sensor arrangements, which can be easily defeated. Controlled by a SICK Flexi Soft safety
controller, the Safeguard Detector is simple to set up and reconfi gure. The solution is TUV certifi ed to provide immediate protection to SIL2 (EN 62061) and PLd (EN ISO 13849), reducing the need for a separate safety assessment, saving time, paperwork and costs.
Smart Box Detection The SICK deTec4 Prime is a safety light curtain that provides protection against operator intervention in accordance with ISO 13855. It is a Type 4 device (IEC 61496), enabling compliance in applications with requirements up to PLe (ISO 13849) and SIL 3 (IEC 62061).
SICK has developed an industry-fi rst, plug-and-play automation solution for the SICK deTec4 Safety Light Curtain. It enables the continuous safe material fl ow of cartons or cuboid goods at entry or exit points
of protected areas, whilst safeguarding people from dangerous materials-handling, conveying or packaging machinery. Smart Box Detection uses intelligent pattern recognition to detect cuboid objects and some cylindrical goods that produce a cuboid-shaped silhouette, and diff erentiate them from people. Unnecessary stoppages are therefore avoided at the in- and out-feeds of packaging machinery. The protected area above the material remains safeguarded by the light curtain at all times.
Smart Box Detection is quick and easy
to confi gure and there’s no need for any additional training, programming, mounting or wiring. It is the fi rst safety system of its kind to facilitate safe material fl ow without having to receive signals from an external machine controller. It doesn’t need muting sensors, which take up space, require maintenance and can be easily knocked or damaged.
Both systems are easy to fit and save space, when compared with cumbersome and costly mechanical protection or the use of tunnels. Their space-saving benefits also mean machine designers can fit new machinery into smaller footprints.
CONTACT:
SICK (UK)
www.sick.co.uk
automationmagazine.co.uk
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