In industrial environments, some equipment, while still able to operate normally over time, has become significantly outdated in terms of related technologies, especially safety technologies . This leads to reduced production efficiency and even certain safety hazards, making it no longer suitable for current production needs.
An old steed in its stall may still aspire to gallop a thousand miles.
Through structured planning, equipment is updated and upgraded to comprehensively improve the availability and production efficiency of machinery and equipment, the convenience of equipment operation, and safety protection that is easily overlooked but is actually very important. While realizing the modernization of machinery and equipment, the safety of the equipment is also taken into account, allowing the once "favorite" equipment to have a second spring.
Within a company, departments responsible for production and equipment maintenance must understand relevant legal responsibilities, and operators must be familiar with and implement applicable standards and requirements. Maintenance engineers must understand when safety-related assessments and inspections of machinery are necessary, and more importantly, how to conduct them. For modified equipment, new risk assessments and conformity verifications are typically required to demonstrate that it meets safety production needs. At this point, machinery manufacturers or end-users often find themselves facing complex compliance and legal issues. Therefore, it is absolutely wise to adopt a structured approach, considering design, operation, and equipment modifications, to proactively and early identify and eliminate potential safety risks.
Transformation Examples
Globally, Pilz has spearheaded countless machine upgrade and renovation projects. Today, we'll take a look at one such project: the renovation of a centrifugal stamping press. This press primarily produces the "keys" for shopping carts, a very common part of our daily lives .
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The components of the stamping press were intact; however, the control and drive technology was somewhat outdated, affecting not only system reliability and production capacity but also limiting safety. The user commissioned Pilz to conduct a comprehensive structural upgrade and renovation plan for the equipment, including risk assessment, safety solution verification, and CE declaration for the renovated equipment.
Following thorough evaluation and meticulous planning, Pilz's solution included the PSENopt II safety light curtain and electronic rotating cam monitoring to ensure timely shutdown of equipment under overload conditions. The PITreader access control system manages access permissions for the equipment: only authorized personnel can enter hazardous areas using dedicated RFID transponder keys. Through Pilz's structured equipment retrofit plan, security can be enhanced while improving equipment availability without incurring exorbitant costs.
Safety renovation experts
Structural planning for equipment upgrades and renovations involves many aspects and is often accompanied by various problems. For users, leveraging external professional resources is the "optimal solution" to overcome these challenges . With years of extensive practical experience in the safety field and a deep understanding of international and local standards, Pilz can provide users with professional services for equipment upgrades and renovations, including not only risk assessments and system integration for aging equipment but also international conformity assessments. We offer comprehensive support for the maintenance and modernization of users' machinery: from the upgrades themselves and customized services to training courses.
