Matara UK Ltd, a Gloucestershire-based specialist in automation, pneumatics and linear motion, has completed a substantial project for the manufacture and supply of machine guard frames for Somerset-based
T S Converting Equipment Ltd, which provides solutions for slitting, coating and lamination of a wide range of substrates that are tailored to suit customers’ requirements.
To comply with safety regulations, machines are supplied to customers with a protective guard frame which, until recently, was produced in-house. This manufacture was both time-consuming and costly; moreover, it did not allow for the use of key accessories, such as screw-in feet or castors.
With TS Converting’s latest project — a substantial order of mixed machines — the company turned to Matara, which has over two decade’s experience in this field. Working from TS Converting’s CAD drawings, Matara cut the extruded aluminium framework to size and assembled the guarding panels to TS Converting’s exact specifications. Aluminium profile, rather than steel, was selected for this order, due to its adaptability, speed with which it can be used to produce panels, and its cost-effectiveness.
This project required over 200m of 40 x 40mm aluminium profile (powder coated safety yellow), while all sections of guarding were supplied with 25 x 25mm black powder coated wire mesh or clear polycarbonate panels. A wide range of accessories were also incorporated into the guard frames, including feet for mounting the sections to the floor, connecting plates complete with fixings, door handles and hinges.
James Self, TS Converting Equipment director, said: “One of the main reasons we chose Matara was for the time it has saved us in production. We now have the guarding cut, powder coated and fully assembled, saving our engineers valuable time in our busy production schedule. The guarding has been a huge success, not only for saving money but also for how smart it looks.”