Background
This manufacturer makes plastic products used in the pharmaceutical and medical industries. Workers teamed up to load rolls of web plastic packaging material weighing 150 to 250 lbs. into machines 4 to 5 times each day. Heavy lifting on the production floor always invites back injuries, but when the rate of such maladies nears 30%, there are serious implications for worker morale in addition to lost productivity and higher insurance rates.
The Problem
The rolls of material were packed vertically on their shipping pallet. The operators then had to lift these large, heavy rolls and flip them so they could be loaded horizontally onto the machine. The rolls were awkward to lift and maneuver.
The Solution
The customer incorporated a Gorbel Free Standing Overhead Bridge Crane System into their production line, with steel rails, aluminum bridges, and an air balancer with roll handler. This roll handler rotates the rolls from their vertical shipping position to their horizontal mounting position.
This manufacturer makes plastic products used in the pharmaceutical and medical industries. Workers teamed up to load rolls of web plastic packaging material weighing 150 to 250 lbs. into machines 4 to 5 times each day.
Heavy lifting on the production floor always invites back injuries, but when the rate of such maladies nears 30%, there are serious implications for worker morale in addition to lost productivity and higher insurance rates.
The rolls of material were packed vertically on their shipping pallet. The operators then had to lift these large, heavy rolls and flip them so they could be loaded horizontally onto the machine. The rolls were awkward to lift and maneuver. In just 12 months, 6 of the 25 workers on this production line had experienced back problems or injuries.
The customer incorporated a Gorbel Free Standing Overhead Bridge Crane System into their production line, with steel rails, aluminum bridges, and an air balancer with roll handler. This roll handler rotates the rolls from their vertical shipping position to their horizontal mounting position. The operators no longer have to bear the weight of the rolls while trying to manipulate them onto the machine.