Metal service centers and fabricators utilize gas, plasma and water jet cutting tables to create various size plates weighing up to several hundred pounds. Operators remove these plates by hand or use an overhead bridge crane when the weights are heavy. This is a slow, labor intensive process that exposes operators to significant risk of stress/strain injuries.

Solution

A high speed servo drive, PLC controlled lifter incorporated with magnet based, pneumatically controlled end tooling is utilized to quickly and safely “sweep” the table – allowing the operators to lift and stack plates effortlessly. The tooling is mounted to an extended shaft providing waist-high control (shown) or from an extended arm for tableside operation. The magnet geometry is field-adjustable in order to accommodate various plate geometries; the system can be used on parts weighing over 500 lbs.

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Companies that handle large heavy rolls need a quick, safe way to lift, rotate and place the rolls into machines or onto pallets. Often, the rolls are stacked tightly so access with on OD gripper is not available and often, the tooling needs to “reach-in” and under obstructions to access the rolls.

Solution

Cynergy Ergonomics provides roll handling systems designed to pick the roll via the core in either the horizontal or vertical orientation and rotate 90 degrees. With the telescopic mast, the operator can travel over other palletized rolls or other obstructions. The cantilevered tooling arm design allows the roll to be pulled from inside or from under machinery obstructions. And the all-electric system keeps the power requirement economical, simple and gives the operators precise positioning control as well as safety holding features in the event of power loss.

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Manufacturer of refrigeration units utilizes a wood shop work cell to manufacture the custom pallets required for their specific product. A new model of refrigeration unit required pallets that were over 7 ft. long, weighing in excess of 100 lbs. – they had no way of moving and stacking the pallet without introducing additional operators.

Solution

A vacuum lifter was installed into the work cell with adjustable cup end-tooling. This system provides for quick adjustment of cup spacing, allowing the operator to lift and stack the full range of pallets that are manufactured. Through a post-installation study, the customer found that productivity increased, work-related injury incidents decreased while improving overall safety.

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Illinois based heavy earth moving machinery manufacturer utilizes welded fabrications of various shapes, sizes and weights in their equipment. After the welding process, these parts require stress relief. The stress relief oven has shelves located on a carousel; the parts (which can weigh in excess of 250 lbs.) require loading on the shelves, reaching into the oven by 3 ft. They needed a way to perform this process quickly and safely.

Solution

Cynergy designed a free standing work cell crane system utilizing a rigid mast manipulator with gripper end tooling designed to pitch 90°. The gripper is offset from the mast so as to allow the operator to reach into the oven while standing in front of the door, outside the oven. This system is all-electric, eliminating the various problems associated with pneumatic manipulator systems.

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Las Vegas based slot machine manufacturer receives LCD display panels from their vendor in a flat, horizontal orientation in cardboard boxes. When they arrive in the assembly area, the 55 lb panels need to be lifted out of the box, pitched 90 degrees about the horizontal axis, then pitched 15 degrees about the Z axis in order to match the recess angle on the cabinet. Once lifted and rotated into position, the LCD mounting holes need to be aligned with the hinges in the cabinet prior to installing the fasteners.

Solution

We coupled our PLC controlled, servo-drive lifter with vacuum based, pneumatically powered end tooling to provide the functions needed by the operators for panel installation. Once raised and rotated, float mode is utilized for the precise alignment needed for installing the panel to the cabinet hinges.

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Brewery bottlers require roll lifters to raise and rotate rolls of beer bottle labels and insert them onto an unwind spindle. The rolls arrive in the workstation area in a core-vertical (eye to the sky) presentation, must be lifted and inserted onto the spindle in a core-horizontal orientation. The rolls are wrapped “loose” and operators need to handle the product carefully so as to avoid telescoping.

Solution

Our battery operated mobile roll lifters are provided which probes the core of the roll while in the core-vertical position, raises and rotates the load and is controlled via an operator hand controller. Telescoping of the roll is prevented by a pair of single lever compression clamps around the roll lifts probe; the clamp surface is designed so as to prevent any label damage. Roll handling carts are provided on casters and can be taken to all of the unwind machine locations.

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Operators were loading chassis cross frame members manually into robotic weld fixtures. The 35 pound – 45 pound cross frames were lifted from the dunnage, carried to the weld fixture and set into position (requiring the operators to lean over and position the load in front of them). This work cell was a chronic source of back strains and shoulder related injuries.

Solution

A high speed servo drive, PLC controlled lifter incorporated with magnet-based, pneumatically controlled end tooling was installed into the work cell. The design enables the operators to pick from all layers of all dunnage racks and set into the weld fixture without bending, reaching or lifting the load. After initial training, tact times were maintained. Additionally, the system is designed to handle multiple cross frames simultaneously when new dunnage designs are completed.

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Operators at U.S. Army arsenal locations are required to load artillery projectiles with various materials depending upon the specific application for the shells. This particular facility loads 155 mm howitzer shell casings with specific materials designed to illuminate a battlefield at night, designating these shells as illumination projectiles. At the arsenal, the operators receive a pallet of (8) shells in an upright position adjacent to a conveyor. They need to reach over and pick, raise then rotate the shells 180° for the loading process; after loading, the shells are rotated back 180° and placed on the shipping pallet.

Solution

The all-pneumatic lifters are designed to be suspended from the existing hoist units. Due to the sensitive nature of the product, the lifters incorporate several safety features including a failsafe holding system in the event of power (compressed air) loss and a load cell release interlock (preventing the gripper jaws from opening until the shell had been placed in the appropriate cradle).

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Due to the design of blister packaging machines, operators at a pharmaceutical manufacturer were required to hand-scoop caplets from drums while standing on an elevated platform. This required repeated trips onto the platform during the packaging process and ultimately lead to operator injuries from handling the drums and scooping the caplets from an awkward, elevated position.

Solution

Mobile, battery operated drum handling devices were provided designed to grasp individual drums, raise above hopper height and rotate, dispensing caplets as required into the individual hoppers. These operations are performed by the operator while standing on the ground; this system also facilitates transportation of the drums in/out of the clean room environments. The units at this facility are lifting 400# drums to a pour height of 10 feet.

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