Independent Glass installs machine guarding solution

As a responsible supplier committed to the growth of its business and safety of its employees, Independent Glass continuously invests in new technology and equipment to ensure its facilities and working environment remain as hazard- and accident-free as possible.

This investment included the recent purchase and installation of a Forel Vertical Laminate Cutting Line; a machine that can handle sheet glass of large proportions: 6m x 3m in size, 16.8mm thick and weighing up to 4 to 500kg. Laminated glass of this size is usually used for partitioning and shop fronts, and owing to its large proportions, Independent Glass had to take precautions to protect employees from potential accidents in and around the manufacturing area.

Richard Delany, maintenance engineer at Independent Glass, decided to install machine guarding around the new cutting line to ensure only authorised employees could access and operate the equipment, preventing any serious accidents. Following research into guarding previously supplied for the cutting line – manufactured by production machine company Satech – Richard discovered its UK distributor ASG Services was the main point of contact for the purchase of the safety product. After initial discussions with ASG sales director Chris Hopkirk, Richard prepared a basic line drawing of his requirements and Chris turned this into a 3D technical drawing. 

Weight of glass

Owing to the weight of glass involved, Chris advised Richard that the most suitable guard to purchase was Strong System. Following this advice, Richard ordered the machine – with a length of 40m and double height – two weeks before the busy Christmas shutdown in 2013. To ensure minimum disruption and a fast turnaround, the new machine guarding installation took place during the Christmas shutdown, avoiding costly delays. Such a short timescale also meant Richard only made contact with a single supplier, ASG Services.

After a prompt delivery, installation using the machine guarding’s quick-fit clip system was simple using clear, easy-to-follow instructions, minimising downtime to only two shifts and enabling Richard to save significant time and money. Richard found dealing with ASG Services very easy from initial enquiry through to delivery.

“ASG’s response to our initial enquiry was second to none, the information they gave us was exactly what we needed and the ordering and delivery process easy and on-time,” he said. “We couldn’t have asked for anything more. I wouldn’t hesitate in using or recommending ASG Services the next time we need machine guarding.”