Optima Control Solutions is helping rubber product specialist, Dunlop in its productivity drive after completing a control and safety system upgrade
Drives and control specialist Optima won the contract for the project with Dunlop because of its sector knowledge and experience in improving plant productivity and efficiency, backed by guarantees of expert technical support.
Dunlop, which produces rubber products, employed Optima to refurbish one of its main machines in order to improve its control and reliability, but the company also wanted the equipment to meet the stricter safety standard of EN13849.
The project required Optima’s engineers to work closely with their Dunlop counterparts during the design stages to ensure the upgrade met this requirement for a complex, yet flexible, safety system, which could also monitor the rate of motion under various operational conditions.
To meet these demands, Optima selected the Pilz PNOZ Multi-programmable safety relay to enhance the security of the machine and extend its lifetime. It also used Siemens’ Simotion D drive to precisely gear-lock the machine’s carriage drive, which applies the material to the main drive. This upgrade provides precision locking of a sequence of drives in order to guarantee reliable product quality.
This was the first upgrade Optima had carried out for Dunlop, but joint managing director, Michael Hill believes the successful collaboration between the companies will lead to further projects.
He says: “Optima has all the skills and experience to fully manage and engineer this project. By using the latest Siemens technology we have successfully enhanced the safety, security and lifetime of the machine, therefore eliminating a major risk factor.”
Optima, an approved solution partner, has developed a reputation for designing, building and commissioning high-quality drive control systems over the last 16 years and, through its sister company, InfoServe365, is also now a UK specialist in managed data collection and analysis
Established in 1995 by two local engineers, the brainchild of Hill and fellow managing director, Dr Adrian West, has grown steadily and now provides a blue chip service to a client base both in the UK and overseas.
