PPL May June 2023 PT - Flipbook - Page 14
Pulp Paper & Logistics
12 ANDRITZ
Andritz tissue machines offer a top level of safety for customers and operators
place. This is where Andritz
expertise comes into its own.
Getting down to basics
There are three areas Andritz
concentrates on to ensure all
parameters are covered when
it comes to machine safety and
maximum usability:
l An inherently safe design –
‘safety by design’
l Guards and fences where
interaction is not necessary
during operation
l Functional safety where
interaction is necessary during
operation
Nager says: “The basic approach
to making tissue machines safe
is that, first of all, we try to avoid
a hazard location altogether,
for example by avoiding the
interaction between human
and machine. This is making the
machine inherently safe.
“However, we all know that
tissue production is a labourintensive activity and it’s not
possible to avoid hazardous
areas completely. This means
that dangerous areas such as
May/June 2023
roll nips must have nip guards,
and other areas need a fence to
avoid operators getting too close.
We have also carried out a lot of
work on the design of machines
at Andritz where the operator
is able to avoid a hazardous area
altogether by being able to carry
out a task without entering a
hazardous zone, for example by
being able to pull out a lubrication
point on the machine.”
The third area is the important
one of functional safety where
interaction is necessary during
operation, which is quite common
when operators need to check
the quality of the tissue being
produced.
Nager says: “The reel section is
where operators always like to go
in and touch and feel the quality
of the paper being produced. In
this case, Andritz has designed
certain movements and interlocks
within the machine where it is
possible to enter the reel section
at given intervals and perform
tasks safely. Another example to
point out is our fully-cantilevered
shoe press concept, which allows
for faster felt and shoe press belt
changes while greatly increasing
the safety of this process.”
“It must be noted that functional
safety, although an important
asset, is costly at the outset and
has to be maintained on a regular
basis.”
The subject of safety while
carrying out cleaning and
maintenance tasks is also an
important factor, particularly in
tissue making.
“Both cleaning and maintenance
are very relevant areas when it
comes to safety of operation,”
says Nager. “Tissue production
requires a high level of cleaning.
We have focused our efforts in
making sure that not only areas of
the machine are more accessible
for cleaning and maintenance, but
we also have specially-designed
CE-marked lifting equipment to
avoid any accidents or injuries
during maintenance such as roll
changes.”
Future challenges
Safety and attitudes toward safety
have come a long way in recent
decades. However, there is
still work to be done when it
comes to regional approaches
to safety.
“Improvements in safety
have increased over the last 25
years. ‘Common sense’ used
to be an integral part of the
safety concept,” says Nager.
“Now safety relies much more
on the machine to keep people
safe, in a way to take out the
human element, and safety
engineers are working more
and more to prevent operators
from manipulating the safety
measures put in place, for
instance disabling guards to
make the job easier.”
One important factor Andritz
is working on as a global
company is the fact that in
different regions there is a
different approach to safety.
Nevertheless, Andritz is always
providing the very best safety
solution for the respective
market with additional features to
choose from.
More information by email at
tissue@andritz.com