Product category:
Machine Safety Components
News Release from: Castell Safety International | Subject: Interlocks
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 11 December 2002
Safer maintenance for metal recycling
Britain's largest metal recycler has greatly facilitated safe routine maintenance at its Birmingham site with the installation of an integrated safety system from Castell.
Britain's largest metal recycler has greatly facilitated safe routine maintenance at its Birmingham site with the installation of an integrated safety system from Castell As part of European Metal Recycling's continuous safety improvement process, five switch disconnectors, three key exchange units and 20 access interlocks have been supplied to EMR to allow its Birmingham fragmentiser to be divided into five separate zones
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 13 Dec 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
High specs for stainless-steel interlocks
Castell has a new range of trapped-key safety interlocks with very high mechanical specifications.
Interlocks enforce radiation safety
Mechanical and electrical interlocks from Castell are safeguarding the operation of a state-of-the-art 30MV cyclotron at the Eindhoven University of Technology.
Access to hazardous areas is now only possible through interlocked gates after power to those areas has first been isolated.
Of the 1500t of metal processed by EMR Birmingham each day, some inevitably spills over from the fragmentiser's conveyors.
Aside from retrieving this overflow, operatives also need to clean dirt from rollers and check that bearings are properly greased.
These maintenance tasks previously entailed locking off the relevant isolator with a padlock before removing head and tail guards covering the conveyor concerned.
Once maintenance had been carried out, the guards had to be replaced, the padlock removed and the isolator finally re-energised.
Castell's safety system has enabled EMR to completely do away with both the head and tail guards and the padlocks.
Operatives need now simply remove the key from the relevant disconnector unit to isolate power to the conveyor requiring maintenance, and insert this key into one of the exchange boxes.
This action releases a number of keys, each one relating to a specific interlock on one of the access gates; operatives can then choose the key that they need.
Depot Manager at EMR, Mark Broadhurst says he's pleased with the Castell system: "It's much easier and safer for us to carry out maintenance than it used to be".
• Castell Safety International: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Engineeringtalk email newsletter
• Engineeringtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
