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Machine safety first

-> Important for everyone who works with machines with hazard areas.

-> Essential for everyone who has to realize directives regarding machine safety in their company.

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Would you like to increase the safety standards of your production? Than contact us! We are experts concerning safety of mixing mills and other machines for processing rubber and plastics, like calanders, presses, mixers, mould carriers and more. Due to many years of experience we know the individual challenges of this kind of machinery and the specific needs of machine operators

Are you interested in avoiding money- and time consuming research on specific safety regulations? We are happy to assist you concerning individual, specific, and practical safety consulting conrresponding to state of the art technology.

Contact us for the package "fit for future" to get safety consulting for a fixed package price: +49 (0)36967 761-0 or sicherheit@deguma.com

When working on machines, keeping employees safe is of the utmost importance. Certain regulations ensure machine safety. In Germany, for example, this is called the “Regulation regarding safety and health protection in using work equipment.“ In other countries, similar provisions are effective, according to which the potential hazards of a machine are regularly assessed and the safety measures are derived.

Working in different safety commissions and committees we are always at the latest state of knowledge concerning  machine-specific rules and machinery directives.

We at DEGUMA provide consultancy regarding the options of safety retrofitting to implement the necessary safety measures for almost all types of machinery for processing rubber and plastics like mixing mills, mould carriers, presses, calenders, internal mixers and others. Moreover, we offer high quality and reliable retrofit kits (with or without installation) for all mixing mill types and sizes as well as safety cages for laboratory mixing mills. Thereby, you bring the safety equipment of your machines up to the required level and reestablish the protection of your employees.

For more information about how you can retrofit your machines with support from DEGUMA, please contact our knowledgeable sales team.

Call us at +49 36967 761-0 or send us an e-mail – we are pleased to provide our support.

> Safety retrofitting for mixing mills

When working on machines, keeping employees safe is of the utmost importance. Certain regulations ensure machine safety. In Germany, for example, this is called the "Regulation regarding safety and health protection in using work equipment." In other countries, similar regulations are effective, according to which the potential hazards of a machine are regularly assessed and the necessary and appropriate safety measures are derived.

Do your safety standards meet the requirements?

And what does this mean for you as the operator of mixing mills? In 2015, the regulation in Germany was reformulated in a clearer manner. Accordingly, the potential hazards of a machine must be regularly evaluated, from which the necessary and appropriate safety measures are derived. Safety equipment such as safety pull ropes, rocker switches at the roll nip as well as foot and knee switch bars are no longer considered appropriate safety measures. Emergency stop elements that require deliberate action must be inspected. Also brakes and control safety functions (e.g. automatic reverse) are subject to hazard assessment. According to the regulation, the machine may not be used prior, otherwise the operator is responsible for possible accidents at the machine.

Furthermore, if your company is located in the EU, you should pay attention to directive 2009/104/EC of the European Parliament concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for the use of work equipment by workers at work.

If your company is located outside the EU you should inform yourself if there are special directives or regulations regarding machine safety. If there are no such regulations, you should check your safety standards regardless, because safety measures help ensuring a smooth work flow and maintain the health of your employees.

Since, in some countries, the hazard assessment must be carried out by a trained expert, you can either train an employee or seek expert advice.

The solution is retrofitting

We, DEGUMA-SCHÜTZ GmbH, provide consultancy regarding the options of safety retrofitting to implement the necessary safety measures and offer high quality and reliable retrofit kits (with or without installation) for all mixing mill types and sizes. Thereby, you bring the safety equipment of your machines up to the required level and reestablish the protection of your employees.

  • Kit „safety switch bars“ for installing on mixing mills according to EN1417
  • Kit “disc brake system” spring-actuated, pneumatically opened
  • Kit “control with safety relay” for monitoring emergency stop elements, with activation and monitoring of the disc brake, for embedding in the existing control. 

disc brake system disc brake system safety switch bar control with safety relay saftey switch bar control with safety relay

For more information about how you can retrofit your machines with support from DEGUMA, please contact our knowledgeable sales team.

Call us at +49 36967 761-0 or send us an e-mail – we are pleased to provide our support.

> Safety cage for laboratory mixing mills

Laboratory machines are being used in elastomer processing companies for the testing of materials, development of new products or the production of small batches. One of the key laboratory machines is the laboratory mixing mill, which heats and mixes material between two counter-rotating rolls, and rolls out a rubber sheet. The nip between these rolls, however, represents a safety hazard.

Hazards caused by laboratory mixing mills

The roll nip forms a point of constant intake and it is therefore difficult to safeguard. This problem has often led to serious accidents with laboratory mixing mills. Older machines in particular are equipped with safety devices that, however, do not safeguard access in a satisfactory manner and aren’t up to date. Safe solutions on the other hand, often make working sensibly and ergonomically more complicated. For small laboratory mixing mills, the main nip can be easily accessed unless proper safety equipment is utilized. Conventional safety bars (GB: lunn bars) do not provide adequate protection, as you can easily reach around it. Safety equipment used to date typically consists of a rocker switch in close proximity to the hazardous area or a knee switch plate which is mounted in the standing area of the operator and quickly stops the roll drives when accidentally actuated. What is needed is a solution that reduces the risk to a minimum and at the same time does not significantly impair work on the mixing mill.

Solution: Safety cage

In coordination with the “Berufsgenossenschaft Rohstoffe und chemische Industrie” [Professional Association of Raw Materials and Chemical Industry] (BG RCI), our team at DEGUMA-SCHÜTZ GmbH has developed a customized protective device for all laboratory mixing mills that no longer meet today’s safety requirements: The safety cage. The safety cage ensures that the operator is unable to access the roll nip when the machine is in operation without automatically triggering the rolls to stop. Nevertheless, the operator is still able to perform necessary work stops (mixing of the compound by cutting it off the rolls and re-feeding it into the nip) without significant impairment. Once the safety cage is opened the flaps can be fixed and the rolls can be cleaned without any problems or risks. The machine drives stop immediately, when the front or the back flap of the cage is opened.

The DEGUMA safety cage has been tested by various companies and proved as a perfect solution by their operators. Upgrade your laboratory mixing mills with a safety cage and ensure the safety of your employees. Our knowledgeable team is happy to assist you.

Safety cage for laboratory mixing mills. Safety cage for laboratory mixing mills. Safety cage for laboratory mixing mills.

Explanation of the drawing of the safety cage:

  1. Front / rear flap
  2. Right and left side walls
  3. Safety edge top
  4. Gas spring to hold flaps open
  5. Safety edge bottom
  6. Magnetically coded sensors for flap monitoring

Call us at +49 (0)36967 761-0 or write an e-mail, we are pleased to provide our support.