On the barrel cleaning and filling plant it is important that part of the protective wall can be easily removed, so that maintenance personnel can advance with a forklift to the centrally positioned media distributors, for service operations. In order to meet this requirement, the decision was made to use mobile railings. The solution also includes a new access management system, which ensures that only the authorised operator can acknowledge a fault that has been rectified and return the system to operation. The original light curtains were replaced by railings.
As part of the controller retrofit, intervention options on the machine were to be re-assessed and validated. From consultancy on the current standards that must be complied with, to a review of the existing safety equipment and E-STOP chain, Pilz also analysed the potential hazard sources and recommended appropriate interlocking devices and a tailored safety concept for the plant.