Case Study: GORBEL G-FORCE

Case study: Gorbel Inc.
Application: Loading a milling machine
In this work cell, operators load motor adapter castings ranging
from 35-70lbs into a twin spindle milling machine. The adapters
are lifted out of a bin and transferred to the milling machine,
where they are lined up and then carefully placed on the soft-jaw
chuck. The adapters must be placed with care to prevent
damage to the chuck. The milled piece is then moved to a table
for deburring and loaded into the second spindle of the milling
machine.
Ergonomic assessment: Manual lifting is too big a risk
An ergonomics assessment of the work cell identified potential
hazards and problem areas to address to ensure workers' safety.
Based on the assessment, the pump manufacturer began
exploring ways to improve the overall safety and productivity of
the area. Prior to the G-Force, operators frequently lifted the
parts by hand or with an air balancer. These work practices
created potentially harmful situations:
• Risk of injury
The manufacturer was concerned that the position operators
had to maintain while trying to carefully place the castings on
the chuck put them at a higher than acceptable risk for injury.
It was suspected that repeated maneuvers were attributed to
injuries reported at this cell.
• Product damage
The costly soft-jaw chucks in the milling machines were repeatedly
damaged when castings were put down with too much force.
• Lost productivity
Air balancers took so long to bleed pressure before placing the
load that valuable cycle time was lost.
The teachable lifting device
Among the G-Force's versatile features are its teachable virtual
limits and speed reduction points, which have proved extremely
valuable in this application.
The G-ForceTM BXi unit can be easily taught to stop or reduce
speed when it reaches specific points in the lifting range.
Through use of a sensor mounted on this custom crane system,
two zones were created, one over the pick point and one over
the milling machine.
The solution allows the operator to lift more par ts per hour
with less stress on his body. Plus, G-Force'sTM Float Mode
feature allows him to lift and place loads with his hands right
on the par t itself. "The G-ForceTM is so much smoother than
an air balancer - and I don't have to wait for the balancer to
catch up" he said.