Schmersal safety systems for a cigar called Hamlet

Cardiff based JR Freeman is the cigar manufacturing division of Gallaher Tobacco, which produces the famous Hamlet brand cigars on six machines fitted with safety equipment from Schmersal

Cardiff based JR Freeman is the cigar manufacturing division of Gallaher Tobacco Limited, which produces among others, the famous Hamlet brand.

The company operates six 'High Speed Over-Roller' (HSO) machines, four producing Hamlet cigars and two producing Hamlet miniatures.

The machines over-roll pre-made rods with tobacco leaf to produce double-end cigars that are cut in half later in the process.

The Hamlet machines operate on a two-shift system and each is capable of producing 18,500 finished cigars per hour.

All six machines are fitted with equipment from Schmersal, the company's preferred safety supplier and one, the HSO 3, has recently undergone a complete electrical re-build that included a new safety system consisting of laser scanners and a mechanical guard system with thirteen door guard interlocks.

Explains JR Freeman electrical engineer Peter Williams: "The machine has an automatic bobbin changeover unit that moves the bobbins out, turns them around and puts them back in again.

Two door guards open and close automatically to restrict access during the changeover operation.

Laser scanners are used to provide pre-recorded spoken warnings when the bobbins are turning, to prevent operators from standing in the way of the doors or walking into the areas".

Seven other guard doors are fitted to areas of the machine where moving parts, some quite large, could present safety risks.

More than thirteen Schmersal switches are fitted to restrict access via the doors, including mechanical and timed interlock units.

In addition, a Schmersal standstill monitor fitted to the machine's motor ensures that everything stops before the gate can be released.

Peter Williams reports that the project has been very successful.

"We are pleased with the standard of the machine upgrade and very happy with the performance and reliability of the Schmersal equipment" he said, adding that Schmersal and R and M Electrical Limited, its authorised distributor for Wales, also provide excellent service and support.

This has included Schmersal running a special safety course for J R Freeman electrical technicians which has, says Peter Williams, helped them to better understand the complexities of machine safety specifications.

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