Carton Moving Solution For Fatigued Operators

Tube Lifter Jib Crane

A manufacturer of instant tickets and lottery supplies needed to eliminate back injuries in the cartoning area of its production. The company tried to overcome the issue with continuous job rotation and proper lifting techniques; however, what was needed was a safe and long term resolution to the process.

The CHALLENGE 

There was a random assortment of boxes that had to be taken off the conveyor continuously. The process is highly repetitious and the cartons weighed up to 40 lbs. each. The lifting device had to move quickly and easily with minimum effort to keep up with the quickly moving conveyor. This left no time to change end effectors to suit box sizes. Speed was important – otherwise the cartoning would become a bottleneck, disturbing production efforts – however a high level of safety had to be maintained.

Our SOLUTION

Acculift utilized an advanced tube lifter suspended from an articulating, free standing jib crane. The articulation of the jib arm meant repeated movements could be done with minimum effort. The advanced tube lifter automatically contracted and attached to the box when the in-line hand control was released. The tube was extremely light weight which helped achieve a fast manoeuvring speed. Acculift recommended a unique four pad suction end effector which allowed varying box sizes to be handled easily with one set up.

The RESULT

One full time operator is now able to perform the lifts continuously, eliminating the need of job rotation due to operator fatigue. Most importantly the weight is now being handled safely by the crane instead of at the expense of the operator’s back. The reduction in back injuries has been significant in the cartoning area, which has also helped the workforce morale.

Acculift met my needs. I would recommend Acculift to others in, and outside, of this company due to the quality and service that we received.