June 18, 2024

Martinsville, Va. – When reliability manager Harold Summers noticed that a critical maintenance task at Martinsville Corrugated was putting employees at serious risk, he knew there had to be a safer solution. That's why he began developing the threader winder machine, with one focus: making sure employees go home the way they showed up to work.

“When I approached my supervisor about creating the threader winder years ago, he supported me and trusted me. Safety has always been a passion of mine, so I was honored to be able to lead the effort,” said Summers.

After years of engineering and planning, the threader winder machine was finally implemented in 2023 and earned Martinsville the Fibre Box Association's 'Innovation in Safety' Achievement Award.

The threader winder machine addresses a particularly hazardous task: changing the double backer belts. These belts are essential for producing double-faced corrugated sheets. The belts require preventive maintenance every year or when damaged, and they are massive—measuring 65 feet long, 11 feet wide, and weighing 2,000 pounds.

Previously, multiple workers had to be on top of the machine while it was running to guide the old belt as it was wound up and the new belt was pulled into place. The process took an entire maintenance team 10 hours to complete and involved significant risks for employees.

After years of engineering and planning, Summers’ new threader winder machine was finally implemented in 2023. It features a double-basket mechanism that sits above the double backer, cradling the new belt as it is threaded to the old one and pulled into place.

This design eliminates several safety hazards, such as suspended loads, pinch points, and crush points. It also drastically reduces the downtime needed to change a belt to as little as two hours with just three employees. Most importantly, the new process keeps all employees off the massive machine while it’s running.

According to the FBA, the award honors plants and individuals or groups that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to employee safety through groundbreaking innovations, leading to significant advancements.

“I was able to invent something that was close to my heart, knowing one day it was going to make for a safer facility. At Georgia-Pacific, we want everyone to go home the way they showed up to work, and nothing is more important than that.”