A fully integrated safety solution that's future-proof? clear as water!

Project completed November, 2016 | 3 min read

In line with the school’s vision to creatively utilise open modern learning environments to facilitate social and engaging learning, the requirements of the project outlined a dual-purpose switchboard system.

PROJECT

Ixom Conveyor

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LOCATION

Melbourne, VIC

PRODUCTS

Allen-Bradley® | Photoelectric Sensors | ArmorBlock® I/O modules | Safety Laser Scanners | GuardLogix® Safety Controllers

The Introduction

A market leader in water treatment and chemical distribution in Australia and New Zealand, Ixom (formally known as Orica Australia Pty Ltd, commenced and operated as a standalone business in March 2015) has a long and proud history of safety performance.

As a recognised supplier of chemicals to agriculture, mining, life sciences building and construction, the company’s many facilities must adhere to stringent safety requirements put in place not only by industry standards, but their own value of safety. With that in mind, their Laverton facility recently completed the construction of a 60 metre conveyor that working alongside NHP, has set the benchmark in safety and performance.

The site in Melbourne’s west mainly process liquefied chlorine commonly used for drinking water and in swimming pools. With a daily production capacity in excess of 60 drums weighing approximately 1.8 tonnes, the compressing, cooling and then filling of drums with this product is a highly delicate process. The fact that the chlorine is liquefied makes the site a major hazard facility with the threat of any leak a constant consideration treated with the utmost care.

With that in mind, the conveyor was installed to automate the manual handling of drums when it came to the dispatch from the site as well as to aid in the filling and degassing procedures. Ixom conducted a number of internal risk assessments before embarking on the project that was completed in three stages, so when it came to selecting a supplier for the safety system responsible for the conveyor, NHP formed a natural choice.

The overview

“The challenge was implementing a stringent safety system that adequately met safety categories and standards requirements whilst maintaining productivity and performance targets,” said Hans De Jongh, Electrical Engineer at Ixom.

“While I was aware of NHP’s reputation as a supplier of quality safety components, having not previously worked with their range made me a little apprehensive at first – however, that initial hesitation was quickly put to rest when I discovered the capability of their range,” Mr. De Jongh continued.

The supplier selection process for the integrated safety system and products was integral to the future operations, longevity and performance of the conveyor. NHP’s willingness to conduct on-site product demonstrations and ability to customize the system for specific application needs provided peace of mind and proved to be a great benefit during the installation process.

“The one thing that stood out for me is that NHP were much more than simply a product supplier, they were able to provide value-add application and engineering advice that we certainly appreciated. Drawing on their extensive range, we were able to custom pick a safety solution that worked for us and they formed a onestop-shop for our safety requirements.”

The Solution

That one-stop-shop included a suite of quality products installed in the overall solution including Allen-Bradley® Light Curtains, Photoelectric Sensors, Ethernet based ArmorBlock® I/O modules, Safety Laser Scanners and GuardLogix® Safety Controllers.

“The conveyor was largely a SIL 2 rated system and achieving that level of safety was a complex process. The site was set up in five different safety zones, each having different relationships and communication protocols with one another depending on its position in the production line,” added NHP’s Andrew Ware who managed the project.

With a strong focus placed on potential expansion of the site, the ability to future-proof the safety system by allowing the flexibility to add extra devices if required was also a major benefit of the project.

Sharing Ixom’s commitment to ensure their facilities operate to the highest safety standards to protect employees, contractors, communities and the environment, NHP were proud to be involved in this project and look forward to continually providing quality safety products to market backed by an unmatched service offering.