Packing Equipment Safety Guard Installation

SSOE worked closely with a long-time consumer products client to install safety guarding around liquid laundry detergent packing equipment to improve safety. The Scope of Work started with the installation of safety guarding around a Unit Load Former (ULF) hoist area, as well as improvement to the safety guarding around the nearby stretch wrapper. We were asked to design a door / gate that would open and close instantly as well as shut down the stretch wrapper immediately, if the door / gate boundary was crossed, eliminating the opportunity for injury.

SSOE evaluated multiple options and discovered a market-ready roll-up safety door that exceeded the client’s requested Category 3 safety rating. This market-ready overhead door eliminated access to the stretch wrapper while it is spinning and also required less custom design by the SSOE team and custom fabrication, saving the client time, trouble, and money. Our client was pleased with this innovative solution which exceeded the request, the automation of the new door, and the safety it provided. As a result, they requested and received additional funding to provide the same safety solution for 11 additional lines.

Due to travel restrictions implemented from the Covid-19 pandemic, the client allowed our team to laser scan the areas affected by this project. SSOE’s design team then referred to this data, stored in Cintoo, for the needed measurements throughout the design process, eliminating the need for engineers’ site visits. The use of Cintoo also allowed us to share the scan information with our design partners and allowed us to input both our model and their model into the program. It identified clashes and ensured the equipment fit in the space properly, saving the client potential equipment re-work during installation. Our familiarity with this client’s plant, people, and processes combined with our design expertise and innovative thinking led to a successful acquisition of similar project work at an additional client facility.

By utilizing a market-ready solution, reducing custom design and fabrication needed, and implementing this solution on 11 additional lines, $210,000 in Value Promise savings was realized.