Tailor-made machine safety for your winding technology

Machine safety in winding machines is an important aspect for the operation of these machines. To ensure that users are protected from injury, there are a wide variety of regulations in the European Union that are designed to guarantee safety when using winding machines. Keeping track of these regulations is not always easy, but we at SOMATEC are pleased to help!

In the EU, the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC is the basic directive for the safety of machinery. This directive specifies requirements for the design, manufacture and use of machinery. In addition, there are other standards that generally deal with the safety of operating and monitoring devices of machines or deal with the safety distances when operating different machines. Last but not least, there are various standards that deal specifically with winding machines for web-like materials and their safety requirements.

Since July 2004, there has been the European harmonised standard DIN EN 13418 for winding machines for flat webs, which was substantially revised again in 2013. If winding machines are manufactured according to the updated standard, they comply with the most important requirements of the European single market directives and in particular the Machinery Directive. DIN EN 13418:2013 sets specific requirements for protection against contact, access to moving parts, lighting and marking, operation and monitoring.

DIN EN 13418:2013, together with the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and other relevant standards, is an essential tool of ensuring the safe operation of winding machines in the EU. However, it is also essential that operators receive regular training and that routine maintenance and inspection work is carried out to ensure the proper functioning of the machine and the associated safety.

However, the implementation of DIN EN 13418:2013 is not without its challenges. One of the difficulties in using wrapping machines under the safety concepts of this standard is in film production lines where the wrapping machines work in cooperation with continuously operating process equipment. In such cases, the shutdown of the wrapping machine by the protective devices can lead to safety problems and considerable material losses. However, we offer solutions that minimise material loss while ensuring maximum safety for your employees.

Have you already thought about safety today? The requirements on safety concepts for winding machines are constantly increasing and must also take into account the process sequences in different companies. We would be pleased to advise you on possible options for a standard-compliant implementation of machine safety on winding machines in your company.