In a relay race, sprinters rely on timing and trust. What leads to success in sports also works when replacing components in maintenance processes. DS Smith proactively addressed the generational change from the SICK S3000 safety laser scanners to the microScan3 and, together with SICK, found a convincing upgrade solution for the existing application.
Lars Mikael Andersen, Sales Engineer at SICK Denmark, knows the DS Smith production facilities in Grenaa, a port city on the Kattegat in Jutland, very well. For over 20 years, he has been the go-to expert for all matters related to sensor-based safety solutions in the automated production of sustainable packaging, pulp, and other fiber-based products.
Since 2003, SICK safety laser scanners of the S3000 type (professional and remote) have been successfully in use in between several production lines. They are integrated on the longitudinal sides of transfer vehicles that move paper stacks quickly and continuously between various production steps such as cutting, printing, and packaging in an autom ated process. Andersen explains: “The S3000 scanners secure the vehicle’s travel path to ensure that no one is harmed – occupational safety is a top priority at DS Smith.”
After the announced discontinuation of the S3000, Kim Borg, Electrician at DS Smith, contacted Lars Mikael Andersen from SICK to determine how the generational change to the microScan3 safety laser scanner could be implemented as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Questions regarding size, wiring, configuration, and installation using tools were quickly resolved. This led to the decision to gradually replace the S3000 scanners on the transfer vehicles with the microScan3. Kim Borg states: “We decided to carry out the replacement step by step with support from SICK. We gained enough knowledge and hands-on experience so that our maintenance team can now independently implement the microScan3 on all ten transfer vehicles without any issues.”
DS Smith operates the sensor concept in Grenaa using two safety laser scanners per transfer vehicle, encoders, and a relay. The microScan3 Pro I/O EFI-pro was selected as the suitable successor to the S3000 (professional and remote). This version of the microScan3 offers the advantage of forming a host-guest group and processing encoder data. The host-guest group also simplifies the wiring of the second safety laser scanner – a solution that saves both time and costs.
Looking back, the experiences the DS Smith maintenance team gained from the initial upgrades have been consistently positive: “Since the microScan3 is smaller and more compact, we don’t have to worry about installation or enlarging the vehicle or mounting slot,” says Borg with relief. SICK also offers an adapter plate that allows full reuse of the existing S3000 mounting infrastructure. Standardized M12 connectors further simplify the wiring process. With the “CDS to Safety Designer Converter” software, SICK provides a solution that automatically transfers existing S3000 configurations to the microScan3.
“At DS Smith, we benefit significantly from the innovative features of the microScan3. The smart connection technology, intuitive operation, and robustness against ambient light, dust, and dirt thanks to the safeHDDM scanning technology have convinced us. The formation of a host-guest group via the secure SICK EFI-pro device communication has also proven to be very stable. And finally, the microScan3 offers a range of diagnostic options for quick fault analysis,” says Kim Borg. From his perspective, the generational change brings numerous advantages. His contact at SICK, Lars Mikael Andersen, knows that many users of the S3000 are initially hesitant to pass the baton to the microScan3 – “but experience shows that with initial conceptual consultation, the wide variety of successor models, and the simplified replacement process, users ultimately gain more flexibility, productivity, and future security.”
Following the positive experiences in Grenaa, DS Smith plans to introduce the new generation of safety laser scanners at its second Danish production site in Taulov in the near future. With good timing and years of trusted cooperation with SICK, the leading manufacturer of sustainable packaging solutions can act responsibly and proactively – and benefit long-term from the expertise and innovative strength that the microScan3 brings.
