Safety and innovation go hand in hand

Machinery must not only function properly, but also be safe. "Not only products such as safety switches, safety interlocks, sensors and light curtains increase safety, knowledge and expertise is also needed to operate both productively and safely," states Gijsbert Heenck, Managing Director at Schmersal Netherlands. The Schmersal Group is an international company focused on industrial safety with both an extensive range of safety components and systems and services such as safety consultancy.

"More and more companies are seeking the support of qualified experts to deal with complex safety issues. The Schmersal Group therefore not only has a wide range of safety solutions, but has also established the tec.nicum division. tec.nicum offers a wide range of services in the areas of machine safety and occupational safety," explained Heenck.

Tec.nicum's offerings include the following four pillars: Academy, Consulting, Engineering and Integration. "We want to use these four pillars to develop and implement the best possible safety engineering solution for each individual application. Our services are available worldwide and are supported by a network of TÜV Rheinland-certified Functional Safety Engineers and Machinery CE Experts." 

Academy

tec.nicum academy offers a seminar program focused on machine and plant safety. "Here we provide classroom training, in-house seminars, online training and workshops, the content of which is precisely tailored to the needs of our customers. These trainings are delivered by an international team of certified safety experts with years of practical experience. This ensures a high quality of knowledge transfer. tec.nicum academy supports manufacturers and users with the necessary knowledge for the implementation of regional legal requirements for the safety of machines and workplaces, both through face-to-face events at the training centers, as well as in-house seminars on site or through our online platform."

Consulting

The second pillar - consulting - focuses on supporting companies in ensuring machine safety and compliance with relevant safety standards. "tec.nicum offers assistance in the selection of protective equipment and safety components that comply with standards and checks the safety of machines and plants in production. Our experts have extensive experience in risk assessments following ISO 12100:2010 and conformity assessments as a prerequisite for CE marking. Upon request, we can advise in the preparation of complete technical documentation. The goal is to objectively develop and realize the best possible safety engineering solution for each individual application."

Engineering

Third, tec.nicum offers engineering services essential to the safety and efficiency of machines and production lines. "The technical planning of safety solutions for machines and plants is the focus here. This is a crucial phase that lays the foundation for the quality of subsequent implementations. Our experts have extensive experience in the validation of safety functions according to ISO 13849-2. This helps to ensure that all safety functions meet the normative requirements." For this, measurements and technical tests are used to demonstrate that all safety functions meet these requirements. "Our experts see themselves not only as consultants, but also as engineers who think intensively about customer-specific projects. In doing so, they keep an eye on the technical details in addition to the bigger picture. Their goal is to develop technical safety solutions that are not only safe, but also contribute to increasing plant availability and production efficiency."

Integration

The tec.nicum integration services - the last column - focus on the practical implementation of safety solutions, from planning to execution. The installation of protective devices and integration of safety components into machines and systems is covered here. "Our experts plan fixed or moving guards or complete machine enclosures, tailored to the individual requirements of the respective industry and company."

Objective

tec.nicum distinguishes itself from similar service providers through its independent and objective consulting approach. "In doing so, the goal is to implement the best possible safety solution, regardless of which manufacturer the safety products come from," concludes Heenck.