A production line, also referred to as interlinked machines, is an installation of two or more machines or parts of machines that are assembled for a specific application purpose.

When they are configured and operated in such a way that they function as a single unit to achieve a common result, interlinked machines are considered to be complete units.

More precisely, the following criteria must be met:

• The individual units are assembled to perform a common task, such as manufacturing a specific product.
• The individual units are functionally linked in such a way that the operation of each unit directly affects the operation of other units or the plant as a whole, requiring a risk assessment for the entire plant.
• The individual units have a common operating control system.

A Production Line Assessment should be conducted by all brand-name businesses with their own production sites, as well as by the entire manufacturing and processing industry.

A PLA is particularly suitable for

• production lines for consumer goods, food and beverages
• assembly lines
• packaging lines
• filling lines
• production of healthcare and medical products

In addition, a PLA is useful for all operators...

• whose machines have been in operation for several years and who want to check whether they are still technically up to date.
• who integrate old machines into a new production plant or vice versa.
• who purchase machines from different economic areas.
• who combine used machines into a new production line.

Before starting the planned line, the operator should first define and record all requirements and safety criteria in a specification sheet.

With systems that are not required to be monitored, the operators can often check conformity themselves. However, because of the expertise required and the effort involved, it is strongly recommended to commission a specialist. This could be, for example, a system integrator or manufacturer that was involved in the construction of the production line.

In any case, our compact Production Line Assessments provide a good basis from which to validate plant conformity.