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Product category: Machinery and Production Equipment
News Release from: Industrial Automation | Subject: Destrapper
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial Team on 20 February 2002

Novel destrapper removes straps safely

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A novel machine that removes straps from pallets is receiving a lot of interest because it reduces a potential hazard as well as freeing up the time of an operative.

Health and safety is becoming increasingly important for British businesses and with an increasing 'compensation culture', manufacturers, packers and producers need to ensure that they minimise the potential for accidents A new machine from Industrial Automation that removes straps from pallets is receiving a lot of interest because it reduces a potential hazard as well as freeing up the time of an operative

Bass Breweries is the first to incorporate the equipment in its production line.

Designed specifically for canning lines, the 'destrapper' (or 'debander') removes the plastic straps from pallets of empty cans (approx 5000), collects and shreds them.

The manual process carries considerable risk because the operative must lean over a safety fence from a walkway to cut the straps - often from a distance that exceeds health and safety guidelines.

These straps must then be manually collected, which carries further risk as they are around 8m long, are awkward to handle and there is a danger of cuts from sharp ends.

This laborious process can take around a third of the operative's time and is a major distraction.

In modern plants, high-level control rooms can be a considerable walk from the destrapping area, further increasing the time taken.

Depalletisers will stop if the operative does not attend.

Commenting on the new destrapper, Stephen Miles, Sales Manager said, "This efficient piece of equipment can be installed for around GBP 75,000.

Not only will it improve the production line but could save much more than that in the event of a claim.

This is one area in which the potential for an accident is high.

If that happens, the flood gates will be opened for other potential claims".

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