Background
A metallurgical company in Florida was growing, and feeling the pains of increased demand throughout their facility. In the heat treat area, workers unloading the treated metal simply could not move parts fast enough to keep up with demand without compromising safety or material damage.
The Problem
The metal parts being moved are gears about 10 inches in diameter, and 2 inches thick. Individually, they weigh less than 5 pounds, but in order to move them quickly enough they are lifted in bunches of 10‐12 pieces. Parts were being moved by manually, and the higher demand paired with faster movement was a set up for operator fatigue and injury.
The Solution
The solution came in the form of a G‐Force iQ with 165 pound capacity. With lifting speeds as fast as 200 feet per minute (125 fpm loaded), the operators are able to quickly and smoothly lift and unload the hardened steel parts. Using a tool that the end user crafted, they are able to slide a spindle through the bunch of 12 gears and hook onto both ends of the spindle to lift. To unload, they set the parts down and pull out the spindle.