“If they didn’t install this machine, I would’ve had to retire by now.”
I just read a stat in
an article about the 'Silver Tsunami" that said by 2020, 25 percent of the US workforce will be made up of workers who are 55 and older. My mind immediately went to this particular application, where Gorbel's Easy Arm is helping one such older worker enjoy her job, injury free!
At this turbine motor overhaul center, engines used for the oil and gas industries, power generation and the military are repaired and refurbished. The turbines are unpacked, disassembled and each individual part is inspected for wear and damage.
Injury-plagued inspections:
After the engines are received, they are broken down and the parts are sent through an inspection area by conveyor where several inspectors wait for the parts to be unloaded and moved to their work bench. The weight of the components varies, some as high as 100 pounds. The manual lifting and twisting was leading to significant lost-time back injuries. The labor was particularly straining for several of the operators who were older and female.
The Gorbel Solution: Freestanding Easy Arms
The company installed a freestanding Easy Arm® unit at each of the 4 inspection stations. The articulating arm with a 10 foot span allowed enough coverage area for the operator to reach the part as it came down the conveyor, lift it into the work cell, and eventually move the part to a case or pallet on the floor opposite the conveyor.
The Results:
The primary goal of reducing injuries was achieved, with no instances of back injuries since the Easy Arms® were installed. An added benefit was that all parts are now able to be handled and inspected by any of the operators without restrictions, which makes staffing the work cells much more efficient.
One of the operators, who had required three back surgeries in her ten years of employment, was able to return to work with no limitations to her job. “I love this Easy Arm®,” she said. “If they didn’t install this machine, I would’ve had to retire by now.”