Making converting machinery safer to operate (and dealing with the liabilities when safety measures fail) was the focus of the CEMA (Converting Equipment Manufacturers Assn.) annual meeting June 2-4 at the Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan, WI.

Following regular committee and board meetings on June 2, the program began June 3 with Electrical and Electronic Aspects of Machine Safety.

Reno Suffi, sensors marketing manager at Omron, spoke on Safety Components for Machine Technologies in Safety and Applications. Light curtains, which are sensors that electronically detect the presence of a worker's hand or other body part and then output a control signal to stop the machine, were recommended as a good precaution for converters to install on machinery for accident prevention. Other safety measures Suffi mentioned: safety mats to place around printing machines; a laser safety scanner, which is an area sensor that detects the presence of workers and outputs a control signal; and overall control systems that plug into safety scanners, light curtains, etc.

James Blaha of L.S. Compliance, Inc., a company offering compliance testing and research capabilities, spoke on Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)/Compliance Engineering. Blaha emphasized understanding of government regulations and requirements with a focus on Europe and CE marking. The CE mark signifies that a product complies with all published mandatory requirements, he explained. Blaha also covered the EMC testing capabilities at L.S. Compliance, which include radiated emissions, conducted emissions, electrostatic discharge, radiated-RF immunity, electrical fast transients and burst, surge immunity and conducted-RF immunity.

The day's sessions ended with Rockwell Automation's David Fisher on Electrical/Electronic Safety Standards for the Machine: Developments in IEC 204, IEC 61508 (Functional Safety) and Harmonization with NFPA 79.

The 2004-2005 CEMA Board nomination slate was presented and vice president Jeff Damour, Converter Accessory Corp. (Wind Gap, PA), was elected president. Former president Matt Tielkemeier, Omron IDM Controls (Houston) was presented with an award for his continuous work and contributions to CEMA, not only as president, but also throughout the years.

The annual CEMA conclave wrapped up June 4 with the topic: Product Safety, Liability and Risk Management. Professor Richard Moll of the University of Wisconsin-Madison opened the session with with Product Liability Prevention and the Role of Warnings. According to Moll, the common aspects of all lawsuits are the existence of a defect, a defect that existed at the time of sale, a defect that caused injury, commercial loss of property damage, and the fact that injury, loss or damage did in fact happen.

Moll also reviewed new developments in product safety and product liability prevention found within warnings and instructions. He often serves as a consultant to companies involved in lawsuits regarding their warnings and instructions. Moll was previously chairman of the Product Safety Advisory Council for Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and he is currently a member of that state's Consumer Protection Advisory Council.

Attorney Stephen Rachlis (Nyack, NY) ended the day with two separate presentations: Terms and Conditions—Limits of Commercial and Product Liability and Avoid Liability for Other People's Products—Indemnity Agreements Restatement of Torts 324A with a focus on obligation of good faith, usage of trade, purchase order contract, and remedies.