By Pilz Automation Safety

These days, cheese production is largely automated. To guarantee the quality of the cheese that is produced in the industrial manufacturing process, plant and machinery must always be state-of-the-art in terms of technology and safety. An individually tailored safety concept as part of a retrofit ensures that processes are safer and more efficient.

This is how Edelweiss in Kempten, Germany, manufactures its well-known cheese products such as Milkana or Bresso. To optimize processes and product quality in equal measure, Edelweiss completely modernized three mixing plants used to produce cheese spread. They had been in use for more than 15 years, so some parts no longer complied with current requirements in terms of process and safety technology. Although there were no glaring safety defects, some potential danger zones would not have withstood an inspection in accordance with EN ISO 13849.

Edelweiss decided at an early stage to use Pilz as a partner. When it comes to converting, expanding or modernizing existing plants, Pilz not only offers integrated safety and control solutions with the necessary hardware and software, but also supplies a complete package of services and solutions, from risk analysis to CE marking and declarations of conformity. The process always starts with a reliable, transparent risk assessment.

When selecting the relevant technology, Pilz takes particular care to ensure that the chosen hardware performs the task safely and efficiently. In the case of the mixing plants, the cheese manufacturer designed the circuit diagrams and converted the plant itself, using only safety components from Pilz. Safety checks and plant documentation are the final step; these form the basis for issuing the CE declaration of conformity.

With CE certification Pilz assumes legal responsibility for safety, becoming the machine's manufacturer. With a manageable expenditure of time and money, the three mixing plants are operating once again at the state of the art, in terms of both process and safety technology. "With Pilz we had a partner who is familiar with every aspect, brings the necessary expertise and provides the relevant services. That was a huge advantage," says Werner Holderried, Head of the Electrical Engineering Department at Edelweiss, summarizing the outcome.

SOURCE: Pilz Automation Safety