Project: Safety Control System Upgrade
Shepparton Newspapers, a division of the McPherson Media Group, employees over 300 people across Melbourne and outer regions.
Following a full drive and control system overhaul by Rockwell Automation, Shepparton Newspapers conceptualised a project to increase the operational flexibility of their printing press.
This led to three additional clutch points being inserted into a common lineshaft, which drives up to seven print units and several folders. The inclusion of clutch points allows different combinations of printing units to be clutched together in different combinations depending on the specific job scheduled.
The key challenge was to ensure that operation of the press remained safe and after a risk assessment RiskPlant Consultants, it was revealed that it was crucial to ensure that the configuration entered into the control system matched the actual clutch configuration in order to avoid the possibility that the unit being plated up could potentially be called into operation by the other half of the press, creating a serious hazard to the operator.
As a solution, Rockwell provided an integrated safety control solution founded on Allen-Bradley GuardLogix.
The GuardLogix safety controller is able to initiate controlled shutdown of the press. If any of four ‘emergency stops’ are activated, the safety control system will shutdown the entire press. If a ‘safe-stop’ button on a print unit is pressed, or a roller guard opened, the section of press clutched to that unit will be similarly shutdown.
The changes introduced by Rockwell Automation have led to an increased level of sophistication in the system. Controlled shutdowns not only lead to increased levels of operator safety, but also facilitate quicker and easier re-starts of the press following stoppages. The result is a safer and more productive environment.
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