Calender safety - Handling calender rolls and parent rolls

Due to the weight and overall size of calender rolls, reel spools, and paper rolls, handling accidents can cause serious injury or death to personnel, and costly repairs to the roll, spool or other equipment. However, handling accidents can be avoided if basic safety rules are followed.

General guidelines

Only trained personnel should remove or install calender rolls or parent rolls. It is best to use the same personnel for all roll or reel handling tasks, especially for calender roll removal procedures.

Inspect all load bearing and lifting devices before handling rolls. Breakdown of the lifting devices (sling or crane hook) could result in dropping the roll.

Never lift rolls over anyone's head. Do not proceed if anyone is beneath the crane or anywhere a falling roll or tools could present a hazard. Keep all personnel away from the calender area during transfers.

CAUTION: Never lift rolls or equipment over anyone's head. Never walk under suspended loads. Hooks or slings can slip and could cause injury or death.

Make sure to position the crane in exact alignment with the roll, both length and width, to prevent contact with equipment during lifts or lowering.

Do not lift suspended loads any higher than necessary. Whenever possible, transport the load only a few inches above the floor. If this is not possible, hoist the load high enough to clear all obstacles.

Use the slower crane lifting speed when lifting or carrying roll equipment. The faster speed should be reserved for raising and lowering empty crane hooks.

Pay attention to the task! Operator inattention when transporting suspended loads can cause accidents.

Do not hand guide rolls. See exception in "Calender Roll Handling Guidelines".

Do not place the roll on an uneven floor without blocks. This could result in runaway rolls.

Calender roll handling guidelines

Follow these additional guidelines when removing/installing calender rolls:

Follow recommended roll removal instructions.

Depending on the equipment provided, refer to the OEM manual maintenance instructions and safety during maintenance instructions.

Do not remove any fasteners for mounting rolls and their related equipment until the lifting equipment is fully engaged. For example, bolts which attach bearing housings to the calender (levers, slides, frame, etc.).

Do not remove the lifting equipment until the roll and equipment are properly stored or bolted in place.

Secure unbalanced bearing housings to the lift slings or hooks to prevent rapid rotation of the housing which could cause injury.

Be aware of roll weights to avoid excessive loading which could lead to damage to or breaking of the lifting devices (sling or crane hook). This could result in dropping the roll. Refer to roll dimension data in the original roll documentation.

When necessary, use multiple cranes.

Prepare the roll properly. Improper rigging could allow the roll to slip out of the sling or yoke.

Before attaching lifting equipment to any roll, verify that the stack is open. In spindle stacks, the adapter for the roll or equipment being removed must be resting on its slide and the slide must be resting on its spindle nut. In lever stacks, the pivot arms must be setting down on the stops and there must be gaps between the rolls.

Keep all personnel away from the calender during roll changes, especially off all platforms, until the roll is properly positioned. Proper position depends upon the calender design. For instance:

• If there is a horizontal supporting surface (shelf), wait until the new roll is seated before approaching the roll. There is no need to hand-guide the roll into position.
• If there is no shelf, wait until the roll has been stopped as close to the final position as possible. Assist as necessary to seat the roll. Be very careful. Do not place any body part near pinch locations or below the roll. Watch out for unexpected roll or bearing housing movement.

When using special crane tools (such as cigarette holders), avoid lifting the tools near the roll to avoid snagging the rolls on the stand. Always check the lift path and possible obstructions.

Lift rolls at the roll journal whenever possible. Lifting the roll by the body may damage the roll surface. Make sure to use the appropriate lifting tools.

• Use any special tools provided with the calender as instructed.
• Use adequate size slings.
• Always use a house crane to lift the top or bottom rolls.

When using a wheeled cart to transport rolls, it is a good practice to remove the roll from the stack and place it directly onto the cart. Make sure that the cart is designed to distribute the weight of the roll properly over the floor area. The cart should be long enough to contain the entire roll and distribute the roll’s weight.

When installing rolls, make sure to:

• Properly torque fastening bolts
• Properly torque drive coupling bolts
• Secure all bolts before removing lift slings or hooks from rolls
• Check for correct fluid connections (refer to roll/rotary union drawings for details)

WARNING: Do not re-torque bolted-on journals on any iron rolls. These bolts are torqued to factory specifications with the roll at a specified temperature. Torquing these bolts while the roll is cold could cause them to fail when the roll is heated.

Return all tools and auxiliary equipment to their proper storage places when the roll change has been completed.

For more information on improving safety at your calender, contact your Valmet representative.