The Challenge: Overcoming Inertia and Ergonomic Strain
For a casting manufacturer in the northwest, year-end statistics revealed a glaring safety issue. A review of injury data indicated that 47% of all complaints and injuries resulted from poor ergonomics. The management team identified the sand mold loading area as a primary hazard zone. Here, operators—including shorter female employees—handled molds weighing approximately 50 pounds.
The existing lifting infrastructure consisted of a 500-pound capacity I-beam jib crane fitted with an air-activated hoist. Operators despised the system. The heavy I-beam created significant inertia, causing the crane to "overswing" past the target and making load positioning difficult.
Video analysis of the original solution confirms that the hoist cables frequently became tangled, further impeding operation. Frustrated by the slow, cumbersome equipment, workers often abandoned the crane entirely and lifted molds by hand. This manual compensation led to fatigue, back pain, and cuts on operators' hands and arms.
The Solution: Gorbel Easy Arm® Intelligent Assist Device
The facility sought a solution that offered the strength of a crane with the natural responsiveness of manual lifting. They selected the Gorbel Easy Arm®, specifically looking for an articulating design to improve usability. Unlike the linear I-beam, the Easy Arm’s articulated joint minimizes rotational mass, allowing for precise positioning without the pendulum effect.
A key factor in the decision was the "weightless" Float Mode. This feature enables operators to bypass the pendant controls and move loads with their hands directly on the piece, providing a tactile level of control necessary for fragile sand molds.
The Execution: Implementation and Workflow Optimization
The company initially ordered a single Easy Arm Q unit with a 165-pound capacity. However, upon arrival, the unit took a detour. The facility identified a separate, immediately dangerous application in another area, condemned the existing crane there, and installed the Easy Arm as a temporary fix.
This temporary installation served as a proof of concept. The response was positive enough that the facility ordered a heavier-duty 330-pound capacity Easy Arm Q for the original sand mold location. Once the heavier unit arrived, the 165-pound unit remained available for redeployment, validating the modular nature of the equipment.
The final installation in the mold loading cell utilized a G360™ collector to prevent the cable tangling issues observed with the previous air hoist. The articulated arm allowed the shorter staff to manipulate the 50-pound molds without fighting the inertia of a heavy steel beam.
The Result: Zero Injuries and Measurable Productivity Gains
The primary objective was injury reduction, and the project succeeded immediately. Since the installation of the Easy Arm units, the facility has reported zero injuries in the area. Complaints regarding elbow, wrist, and back fatigue dropped significantly.
While safety was the driver, the facility also recorded unexpected gains in throughput. The company consistently sees an increase of about 50 units per day. This equates to a 4% increase in overall productivity, achieved simply by removing the physical barriers and micro-stops associated with the old I-beam system.