PrazamanaCupper Press Machine Safety Upgrade
A Cupper Press Machine had no fencing, no accessible Emergency Stop, and no guarding at its pressing area — leaving operators exposed to struck-by and crushing hazards during coil handling and pressing. Here's what we found — and the solution we engineered.
The Project
The Cupper Press Machine handles large aluminium coils through a coil car, a rotating mandrel, and a pressing operation. A pre-project hazard review found five distinct ways a person could be exposed to hazardous motion — from simply walking into the unguarded operating area to a pressing mechanism with no guard at all. Every modification below was implemented specifically against one or more of these findings.
Hazards Identified5
Safety Systems Integrated5
The Challenge
A pre-project hazard review of the cell found 5 distinct ways personnel could be exposed to hazardous motion.
In short, the cell exposed personnel to
Unrestricted Machine Access
No fencing separated personnel from the Cupper Press Machine's operating area, allowing direct access during operation.
Struck-By Risk Behind the Coil
The large aluminium coil blocked the operator's view of the coil car and mandrel areas, risking injury to anyone in that blind zone during movement or rotation.
Delayed and Unguarded Stopping
The machine had no easy-to-reach Emergency Stop and no guard around the pressing area. That made it slow to stop in an emergency, and left the pressing mechanism fully exposed.
All 5 hazards, in detail
No Protective Fencing
There was no protective fencing provided around the Cupper press machine. Any person could access the machine operating area during operation, resulting in a risk of injury.
Coil Car Area Visibility
Due to the large size of the aluminium coil, the operator could not clearly see the area behind the coil while moving the coil car. If a person entered the area, there was a risk of injury.
Mandrel Area Visibility
After the aluminium coil was fixed on the mandrel, the mandrel was rotated. Due to the large size of the coil, the area behind the coil was not visible to the operator. If a person entered this area during operation, there was a risk of being struck by the rotating coil and suffering injury or falling to the ground.
No Accessible Emergency Stop
No easily accessible Emergency Stop device was provided near the machine operating area. In an emergency, the operator had to reach the control panel to stop the machine, which could delay emergency stopping.
No Safety Guard at the Pressing Area
No safety protection device or guard was provided at the coil pressing area. The operator could directly access the hazardous pressing area during machine operation, creating a risk of hand or finger crushing due to the moving press mechanism.
Physical Guarding — Safety Fencing & Access Doors
- Installed safety fencing around the Cupper Press Machine to restrict access to the hazardous operating area and improve operator safety.
- Provided two access doors in the fencing — one single-hinge door and one double-hinge door — preventing personnel from directly entering the machine operating area during operation.
Door Interlocks & Visual/Audible Indication
- Installed safety door switches on both access doors.
- Installed a two-tier tower lamp and buzzer above the doors for clear visual and audible safety indication.
Light Curtain Detection
- Installed a set of light curtains near the mandrel to detect entry into the hazardous rotating area.
- Installed a second set of light curtains near the Cupper Machine pressing area to detect entry into the pressing hazard zone.
- Both sets of light curtains activate the safety interlock when the operator or any person enters the hazardous area.
Emergency Stop & Reset Control
- Installed a two-way junction box near the doors with one Emergency Stop push button and one Reset push button.
- The Emergency Stop immediately stops machine operation in an emergency.
- The Reset button re-enables the safety system once the hazardous condition is cleared and all safety devices are in their normal condition.
Safety Interlock Logic & Restart Prevention
- Opening the double-hinge door immediately stops Coil-Car and Down-Ender movement, triggers a "System Unhealthy" indication on the tower lamp, and sounds the buzzer.
- Opening the single-hinge door immediately stops the Cupper Press Machine, with the same "System Unhealthy" indication and buzzer.
- Interrupting either set of light curtains immediately stops the Cupper Machine to reduce the risk of hand, finger, and body injury.
- After the door is closed or the light curtain is cleared, the Reset button must be pressed — once the system shows "System Healthy," the machine can be restarted using the Machine Start button.
- Pressing the Emergency Stop at any time immediately stops machine operation to prevent further hazardous movement.
- Installed safety fencing around the Cupper Press Machine to restrict access to the hazardous operating area and improve operator safety.
- Provided two access doors in the fencing — one single-hinge door and one double-hinge door — preventing personnel from directly entering the machine operating area during operation.
The Result
Overall, the identified Cupper Press Machine hazards were addressed through safety fencing, interlocked access doors, light curtain detection, emergency stop and reset control, and a fully interlocked restart-prevention safety logic.
Related Solutions
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