Challenge

A Serbian manufacturer of tyres for cars and trucks was looking for a solution that could facilitate the handling of long straps transformed into reels by a winding machine. The task used to be carried out manually and was particularly hard because the diameter of the reels reaches a maximum length of 750 mm and the reels can weigh up to 125 kg. The handling process required the operator to manually pull down the reels from the machine bin and let them fall on the ground. To position the reels on the transport cart they used a standard chain hoist with a long and heavy arm and a special hook. A further difficulty came from the fact, that the transport cart has two side, right and left, and the reels must be unwound in one direction. This means the reels on the left side of the cart had to be manually rotated on the floor, causing health risks and long-term injuries for the operators.

Solution

Aware of the risks to the health of the users and the difficulties and slowness of the process, the manufacturer turned to Lean Technology Hungária Kft, the Hungarian distributor of Scaglia Indeva, to find a solution that would not only safeguard the health and safety of the workers, but also speed up the production cycle. The answer to the Company’s requirements is an INDEVA® E240CH L450 manipulator with a special C shaped gripper with a revolving tray for handling reels. Thanks to the INDEVA manipulator and the special gripper, the operator can now take the reels from the pin effortlessly. Moreover, the reels rest on the revolving tray and the operator can easily and ergonomically turn them in the air without having to place the reels on the ground. The sensitive handle and the pushbuttons make it possible to precisely position the reels on the pins of the transport cart.

Advantages

Choosing an INDEVA® manipulator comes with several advantages:

  • Ergonomics: handling operations carried out with INDEVA® manipulators ensure safety and ergonomics and prevent injuries and musoloskeletal disorders
  • Speed: the production process is speeded up considerably, resulting in increased productivity. In addition, handling operations that previously required several operators can be easily completed by one worker, allowing the others to take care of other tasks.
  • Ease of use: thank to the auto-balancing and electronic control, no settings are required, this makes the manipulator immediately usable and a real extension of the human arm,
  • Precision: the sensing handle allows smooth and precise movements, almost as if the loads were weightless
  • Low power consumption: using an INDEVA® manipulator allows not only to safeguard the health of the workers, but also the environment, since the environmental footprint is minimal due to the efficiency and low energy consumption.