Safe timber handling with Palift
Industry:
Timber mill.
Application:
Loading timber lengths into a saw.
The Problem:
Workers at this timber mill were developing sore backs and finding it difficult to maintain work rates as they loaded timber into the saw. They needed a product that would maintain the timber planks at a steady height as they were fed into the saw. It was important that the product chosen was easy to use and did not decrease the work rate.
Product Chosen:
Safetech Tandem Palift.
Benefits of this Product:
Safetech provided 2 static Palifts in tandem that permitted the automatic raising and lowering of the timber lengths as they were loaded into the saw.
The results were:
- Immediate reduction in backache and work fatigue.
- Productivity increased.
- Easy to use with no need for operator intervention.
- Workers satisfied with the outcome.
Alternatives:
- Hydraulic lift tables. More expensive and they required workers to use a control switch to raise and lower the table which was inconvenient and slower.
- Air spring pallet leveller. Also more expensive, less durable, required maintenance and a compressed air supply.
- Overhead crane system. Very costly, needed development of a timber gripper and would have been too slow for the saw.