Gorbel G-Jib is Introduced!

Check out the link for the new Gorbel G-Jib below. It is a nice compliment to their zero-gravity lifting line. If you don't need the articulation of the Easy Arm this is a more economical way to still get many of the great features of the Gorbel G-Force.

https://www.gorbel.com/Products/Intelligentliftdevices/GJib.aspx

It can go up to 660#, and 16' span where the Easy Arm goes to 330# and 14' span.

We can integrate all the same type of tooling as we have done in the past with the Easy Arm, but do it even more economically than the Easy Arm. Some customers need the Easy Arm Features but this is a nice compliment which fits between the Easy Arm and a standard jib with a chain hoist.

Contact us if you would like to see the G-Force in your plant. We can do an on-site demo.

Drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or call us at 314-766-4578

Gorbel Workstation Crane System with Multiple Bridges

Did you know that you can have Gorbel systems with 2 or more bridges and not have to mess with festooning. In the past on systems with more than two systems some customers have utilized c-track to run additional festoon conductors. Well, you can utilize hard bar electrification. Pick your brand, Electromotive, Insul-8, Duct-O-Bar or whatever you use in your plant. Note that four bars are utilized on the system. This is required by NEC but even more important as Gorbel wheels are not metal and thus do not ground the system.

Need some more information? Drop us a note at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or give us a call at 314-766-4578.

Overhead Crane Handling Granite, Gorbel Style!

Granite Handling Application

With the increase of granite countertops, the need for handling them has been on the increase for several years. With the recession it has been even more important to do this economically. This is a perfect application for a Gorbel workstation crane.

The Problem these customers face is the slabs of granite are very large. Each can weigh up to 850#. Many of these facilities do this job with a forklift with attachments, but in this case it was even worse! The customer was moving from a storage rack onto a cart, rolling the cart into the facility and then 3 people were needed to lift the slab into the machine where it is cut and then moved to another station to be edged and finished. Wow! This is an accident waiting to happen.

The customer fabricates countertops using granite, marble as well as other natural stones. In this application, workers at a new facility need to move huge slabs of granite from station to station through the various stages of the fabrication process. In the past many of these fabrication facilities have gone to large overhead cranes with a runway structure and footing. Well, Gorbel is an option that should be looked at if you are watching your dollars.

The solution for the customer was a 43' Gorbel Freestanding Work Station Crane System with 2 bridges and a custom end effector.

Why is this a great solution?

1. Reduction in manpower-only one worker is now needed, not 3.

2. Less Damage to product. The vacuum lift assist disperses the load to the whole slab and does not point load the part.

3. Less worker fatigue-the workers go home without having lifted thousands of pounds.

4. Productivity increase-25% more productivity

5. The operators love it!

If you need to handle stone or any other material, let us give your workers a hand. Drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com, or call 314-766-4578.

The Gorbel G-Force Now Available in Higher Capacity

If you need optimum spotting and being able to float your load with loads upto 1320# then Gorbel can help! We can even integrarte custom tooling to pick up your hard to handle part.

New 1320 lb/600 kg G-Force® Now Available!
Gorbel Inc. is very excited to announce the release of a 1320 lb/600 kg capacity G-Force®. This new higher capacity unit delivers the motion control and precision you’ve come to expect from the G-Force®, including the popular Float Mode option which allows any weight to be effortlessly moved up or down with a slight upward or downward force providing direct control of the load for precision placement.
Available as both Q and iQ models, the 1320 lb./600 kg unit is able to lift twice the weight if our previous 660 lb capacity offering by incorporating a reeved wire rope and pulley assembly. The pulley assembly is positioned above the G-360 collector, enabling full 360-degree rotation of loads.
Contact Ergonomic Partners at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or give us a call at 314-766-4578 for more information.

Air Conditioning manufacturer stacker crane

Gorbel Work Station Cranes are helping a manufacturing plant load their finished product to trailers with ease and efficiency.

Application

A plant in the Midwest that makes air conditioning units was looking for a better way to take their packaged air conditioning units off the assembly line and load them onto trailers. They had been using forklifts to transfer the packages to the trailer, but this method was inefficient, and all the fork truck traffic led to congestion on the plant floor. The customer considered an Automated Conveyor System, but determined it would be cost prohibitive.

Gorbel’s Solution

They decided to try a work station crane system instead. They bought a Free Standing Bridge Crane

with Aluminum Bridges. They used it with a custom designed "stacker crane” end effector. This unique

end tooling has 360 degree rotation, can move up and down, and has forks to lift the pallets. This winning combination has been proven to be very successful for the customer. The crane system

allows them to load the trailer more quickly than was possible with the fork trucks - and all the congestion from the back and forth fork truck traffic has been eliminated!

They chose to replace some of their fork lift trucks with Gorbel cranes in order to load packaged units onto trailers. Productivity was increased and fork truck congestion was eliminated.

Ergonomic Partners has extensive experience in handling air conditioning coils, condensers, and bodies. If the relatively new EPA standards have made your parts too hard to handle with manpower we can help.

Contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or visit us at www.ergonomicpartners.com

Gorbel work station crane system help this pet food manufacturer take the load off their workers

Pet Food Company Takes Pain Out Of Processing Operation with work station crane.

"If you get one lost time accident, obviously that’s too many because the first thing you think of is workers being safe. Just one injury can also cost the company an awful lot of money long term."

Problem: Workers were lifting 45 lb. frozen meat slabs manually from a pallet, then had to twist and push the slabs onto a conveyor dozens of times in an 8-hour shift. Injuries and fatigue became a major problem, and the company decided to seek a more ergonomic method of moving the meat.

Solution: A Gorbel ceiling mounted work station crane with a vacuum lifter. The system features 22’ trussed runways and a 19’ bridge with 250 pound capacity, which covers the entire area where meat is dropped off and loaded onto the conveyor. A vacuum lifter with a skirt attachment allows workers to pick each piece and move it to the conveyor. Vacuum lifter can be used in many food applications. Stainless steel vacuum systems attachments are typically used for food applications.

Results: Workers realized quickly that with the help of the Gorbel work station crane, they were able to work quickly without getting tired and slowing down midway through their shift like they would by lifting manually.

Gorbel Double Girder Bridge Crane with Custom Manipulator helps out with a roll handling application

Gorbel Work Station Crane Helps Eliminate Injuries And Product Damage Green Bay Packaging is a pulp and paper manufacturer using 100% recycled materials to produce a wide variety paperboard packaging. The large rolls are slit and sized based on customer demand, and moved to a work cell in stacks where they are loaded onto skids for final shipping. The size of the rolls vary significantly, but can be as large as 3’ x 5’, and weigh as much as 600 pounds. The primary problem facing the company in this application was operator injury, especially back strains. Back injuries were the leading cause of lost time injury for the company, and at one point were occurring as frequently as once per week. While most rolls are far too big for a single operator to lift, some smaller rolls may only weigh 60 pounds, which are tempting for an operator to move manually in a time saving effort.

The company began looking for a lifting solution that would be able to reduce the
number of employee injuries, while at the same time handle the paper rolls without
product damage.

“The two options being considered were an up-ender and a crane with a manipulator,”
said John Frederick of Green Bay Packaging. “The problem with the up-ender was that
we couldn’t handle the rolls the way we wanted to when loading the skids. The
manipulator became important for stacking multiple rolls.”

With the manipulator selected for tooling, Green Bay Packaging selected a 4,000 pound
capacity Gorbel work station crane, featuring dual girder bridges to support the
manipulator. The crane also features tractor drives to make movement along the runways even easier for operators.

The implementation of the new process was very effective, as workers found moving
even the heavier loads was easier. The manipulator inserts into the hole of the paper rolls and turns it to the proper position. Though the manipulator itself is quite heavy, the dual girders of the Gorbel workstation crane keep the load completely stable, even when the load is not centered beneath the base of the manipulator. The tractor drives assist the operators movement on the x and y axis so that stopping and starting motion of a heavy load does not strain operators.

Of course, the primary goal the company when putting the system in the area was to
reduce injuries. “There’s been a huge reduction in workplace injuries,” said Frederick. “Keeping our workers safe is our top priority. With this Gorbel workstation crane, there have been no injuries, and that was this project’s biggest success.”

If your facility needs help with custom manipulators or Gorbel workstation cranes, please contact our sales department at sales@ergonomicpartners.com.

Gorbel to be at CeMAT Asia

We have seen Gorbel workstation cranes, G-Force Lift assists, and jib cranes being introduced to all forms of manufacturers for the last 20 years. Well Gorbel is at it again by opening a factory to serve the Chinese Market. Gorbel announced they are going to be in CeMAT Asia, October 27-30th at the Shanghai Expo Center. I especially mention this because Ergonomic Partners can help your company with expansion projects you may have in China. Drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com and we can work with your engineers in the States, or put you in contact with the factory in China.

Jeremy Gao, a spokesperson for Gorbel (Tianjin) Crane Co., Ltd., the Chinese manufacturing facility of US-based work station manufacturer Gorbel, says he is hoping for a wider cross-section of visitors from industry with purchasing-power at the Chinese show this time around.
"We do hope this year will be busier," he adds, saying, naturally, "more visitors would bring us more business opportunities."
Gorbel will exhibit from its enclosed track work station cranes. It will display a free standing work station crane, "which covers a rectangle area and a work station jib crane, which covers a circular area," Gao explains.
Since Gorbel Tianjin only opened in May 2006, many of its products are still new to Chinese market, despite its more than 20-year history in the USA.
"Gorbel is growing fast in the Chinese market," says Gao. He continues: "We have done a good job in the past two years and we hope for more success in the near future."

We even have a free demo of the Gorbel G-Force which can be brought into your plant. Drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners to set up a meeting.

Overhead Bridge Cranes vs. Forklifts

Benefits of Underhung Crane Systems vs. Forklifts
Underhung Crane Systems are more space efficient in many aspects than fork lift trucks because they operate overhead. While fork lifts require aisles to move products from point to point, overhead cranes can move directly from the pick point to the drop station. Since it is overhead, the crane does not interfere with the floor activities.
Other benefits of an underhung crane system compared to a fork truck are:
Lower building maintenance costs (Floor resurfacing)
Far lower equipment maintenance costs
Lower emissions than gas powered trucks
Less product damage
Less facility damage
Lower operating costs
Ability to handle a larger variety of loads
Greater cube density in storage area
Greatly increased operating life of equipment
Increased visual control by operator resulting in safer operation
No area required for batteries or fuel tank storage

Need more information or a quote? Please contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

The above courtesy of Cleveland Tramrail/Gorbel.