Mobile lift systemsPrint

Mobile lift systems make a significant contribution to the ergonomic design of workplaces, employee satisfaction and occupational health

Even though people are able to handle many loads with their physical strength, this has a negative impact on health over the long term. Sooner or later, ongoing, one-sided or monotonous loads invariably lead to injuries, accidents or incapacity to work due to illness. In private life and in working life, ergonomic devices can provide relief and thus improve occupational health and safety.

Employees are the most important asset

Many industrial activities and tasks in various trades involve continuously lifting and moving loads. Often this puts extreme strain on the back and spinal column. Meanwhile more and more operations are using mobile lift systems for the purpose of prevention and support. That is because they have recognised that employees and their health are a company’s most important asset.

Mobile lift systems: relief for every employee

Mobile lift systems enable the back-friendly, ergonomic and safe lifting, tipping, shaking, rotating, lowering, gripping, guiding and turning of loads. They constitute a big relief for many thousands of employees in production facilities, warehouses and anywhere heavy loads have to be moved. Not only do they improve employee health – when work does not hurt their back, employees are also more satisfied, enjoy their job more and are ultimately more productive too.

Individuality and mobility are in demand

The more different workplaces are from each other however, the more individual the requirements for the mobile lift system being used will be. It is important to ensure that the suppliers of mobile lift systems are flexible. They have to analyse the work task in detail and be able to implement corresponding individual solutions for it. Mobile lift systems have to minimise strain on employees when handling heavy components, pallets, pallet cages or other transport containers.

To make them versatile in operation, they should also be suitable for various applications by means of additional adapter systems. When loads are extremely heavy and transportation using muscular strength is difficult, electric motor support is just as important as casters that move easily and can be adapted to the ground conditions. Devices with quick-change systems for the drive unit batteries can be readily used in multiple shifts as well.

Everything also a matter of safety

Safety has to be taken into account for operation. Just like the load handling devices, operating elements should be individually expandable. If a precarious situation develops, it must be possible to turn the system off rapidly and bring it to a standstill quickly and safely, for example with what is called a total stop system. Then nothing stands in the way of health and safety at work.

Checklist

• Adjustments to the lift system must be possible so it cannot only drive under euro-pallets, but various other pallets as well.
• It must be possible to adjust mobile lift systems and their adapters flexibly to the characteristics of the workplace and its work surroundings. They must make it possible to move, grip, lift, tilt, shake, turn, lower and swivel workpieces and containers, and must be easy to use.
• Depending on the specific workplace conditions, lift systems must be offered with a range of different lifting heights and load ratings.
• Mobility is very important. Easy manoeuvring in a confined space must be possible. Low-weight design is a great advantage here, together with various different rollers for the units.
• For safety reasons, the rear wheels must be fitted with wheel locking devices or central brakes. Safety sensors must also trigger an immediate stop to protect the feet.
• Time-saving, easy operation of the units must be possible without any problems. Adjustable lifting and lowering speeds are necessary for the whole range of the unit in accordance with the work requirements.

Minimum requirements

• Able to drive under a variety of pallets
• Adaptable to the job and working environment
• Convenient to manoeuvre
• Easy to operate
• Back-friendly exchange of load handling devices
• Variable lifting and lowering speeds
• Multiple shift operation
• Total stop system

Also appropriate

• Ability to integrate additional control elements
• Level control
• Position control
• Speed control
• Platform scale
• Drive motor
• ESD-compatible

Products in this sector with the AGR seal of approval

• lift2move*
• TransOrt MobiLiftSystem**

Manufacturer

EXPRESSO Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG*
Antonius-Raab-Str. 19
34123 Kassel
GERMANY
Phone +49561/95910
Fax +49561/95912138
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.expresso-group.com

TransOrt GmbH**
Fichtenweg 2
57392 Schmallenberg
GERMANY
Phone +49 2974/9695811
Fax+49 2974/9695829
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.transort.de

Further information

Qualified analysis of the workplace is necessary in advance in order to decide which equipment is needed.

Additional processes may be appropriate, with individuals obtaining qualified advice from workplace specialists such as occupational physicians, physiotherapists or also attending a back school in order to learn and improve back-friendly behaviour (e.g. how to lift and carry things correctly).

As a basic rule: the best chances of success come from combining various back-friendly aids, such as the lifting tables described above, with behavioural training and possibly also muscular training. This reduces the problems of the individual worker together with the sick leave levels. The employees will be more motivated. This should also be in the interests of every employer. Aids such as lifting tables and mobile lift systems reduce the strain during installation work and/or when handling heavy parts, pallets, crates or other transport equipment in the workplace. This applies particularly to installation workplaces where strains come not only from the weight of the parts but also from the continuous movement patterns. Mobile lift systems lift, tilt, shake, turn, lower, grip, move and swivel loads, thus fostering ergonomic work processes.