Bevcorp Introduces Custom Circular Machine Guarding

In order to support the ‘Safety First’ priorities in production facilities, Bevcorp tasked its engineering team to research and develop safer technology aimed at improving machine guarding during equipment operation and maintenance without sacrificing machine accessibility, speed or efficiency. Thus, the Bevcorp Bev-Guard and Key-Guard Safety Systems were designed and are available for fillers, seamers and cappers regardless of the make or brand of equipment. Bev-Guard and Key-Guard are designed to protect plant personnel from injury by limiting and controlling access to the filler during operation. They are designed to comply with the safety standards set forth in ANSI B155.1.

Bev-Guard is a series of mechanical guards (stainless steel doors, panels, and other devices) configured to form a safe boundary between the filling machinery and operating personnel. The guards are equipped with an electrical interlocking system (safety relay, PLC, and solenoid locking switches) that permits or prohibits operation of the filling system by regulating the guard doors (opening and closing).

The PLC in conjunction with safety relays provides automatic control of the solenoid locking switches and monitoring of the safety circuit. Multiple jog stations can be installed, but only one station can be active at any given time.

Bev-Guard Safety Systems are available in these styles: Bev-Guard, Bev-Guard Plus, Key-Guard and Key-Guard Plus.

Bev-Guard Safety Systems:

• Are modular – simple to specify, order and install
• Provide complete and positive enclosure until the machine is at rest
• Prevent guard doors from opening while the filling system is in normal operation.
• Restrict machine operation to a safe (jog) speed when a single guard door is open to allow minimum operation of filler.

Bev-Guard Plus adds the following, for maximum flexibility in protection:

• AB GuardLogix Safety integrated with PLC.
• Advanced Diagnostics on HMI for each guard door / switch status
• Tri-Color LED indicators at each guard door for fast visual indication of door/switch status.
• Two-button safety switch that requires both hands of the operator to be on the switch in order to jog the filler.

Key-Guard is a lower cost solution that eliminates the majority of the wiring and electronics required for the Bev-Guard systems. It employs the same modular mechanical guards, but the safety interlock is accomplished via a trapped-key system. A PLC-controlled retention station holds keys captive while the filling system is in operation. Keys cannot be removed from the retention station without a stop motion command by an operator. After the filler stops and power is isolated, keys are released and trapped in a designated sequence, allowing individual or multiple doors to open, or granting specific functionality while a door is open. In order for the filling system to operate normally, all keys must be returned to the retention station and locked into place by resetting the control system. Jog station functionality stays the same.

Benefits include:

• Lower installed cost
• Reliable in harsh or wet environments
• Does not require careful alignment
• Limited components to maintain

For more information on Bevcorp’s Bev-Guard or Key-Guard Safety Systems, please contact sales@bevcorp.com.

Bevcorp manufactures new high-speed beverage fillers, rinsers, blenders, chillers and deaeration equipment for CSD’s, hot-fill products, beer, water and energy drinks. Bevcorp also remanufactures fillers and blenders with the same warranties as new equipment. The company offers after-market parts, upgrades and retrofits for fillers, blenders and refrigeration equipment. A key resource for our customers is Bevcorp’s ability to service the equipment including machine and parts installation, start-up, service, repairs, maintenance and troubleshooting. Bevcorp regularly delivers equipment and services customers across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. We supply parts to customers in North and South America and Europe.