Custom Mounted Belt Guard Solution for Engineered Wood Manufacturing Plant

Industry: Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing
Location: Southeastern United States
Distributor:Tencarva Machinery – Chattanooga
Challenge: Heavy chain guard requiring multiple workers for maintenance; complex shaft design complicating guard installation
Product:Uniguard MBG – Mounted Belt Guard, Z3 Design

The Problem

At an engineered wood product manufacturing plant in the Southeastern U.S., the maintenance team faced ongoing challenges with an outdated chain guard that was excessively heavy and required multiple people to remove for routine inspection and service. This created significant safety concerns, maintenance inefficiencies, and downtime.

The situation was further complicated by the equipment’s Z3 shaft design featuring a pass-through driven shaft, making it difficult to retrofit a new guard without disassembling key machinery components.

The Solution

The facility worked with Tencarva Machinery – Chattanooga to design and install a custom Uniguard Mounted Belt Guard (MBG) specifically engineered for the Z3 shaft configuration.

The custom solution included:

• A removable front panel for fast and easy maintenance access

• A top hat extension to accommodate the protruding front shaft

• Lifting handles integrated into the design for safe, single-person handling

• A precision fit that allowed installation without disassembling the existing equipment

Built from lightweight, corrosion-resistant, nonmetallic material, the MBG is OSHA and ANSI compliant and provides long-term durability in a demanding industrial environment.

The Result

The new guard dramatically improved maintenance efficiency by allowing single-person removal and inspection. It eliminated the risks associated with handling heavy equipment and reduced downtime during maintenance procedures. The custom MBG solution not only improved safety but also helped the plant maintain compliance and keep operations running smoothly.

Before and After

Closing Statement

This project highlights the critical role of innovative design in solving complex guarding challenges. By collaborating with Tencarva Machinery and Uniguard Machine Guards, the engineered wood manufacturing plant enhanced safety, simplified maintenance, and optimized operational efficiency—without disrupting their existing equipment.

Uniguard Made in the USA | Meets or Exceeds OSHA Requirements

About UNIGUARD™

Uniguard Machine Guards manufactures machine guarding solutions, including vertical and horizontal belt machine guards, machine guards with clear polycarbonate inspection windows, OSHA-compliant polyethylene guards, nonmetallic adjustable-width machine guards, and ANSI/OSHA-compliant nonmetallic pump guards.