Whether it's a compact manual workcell in an electronics plant or a station on an automotive assembly line, workers are increasingly enjoying the benefits of tool lifters to help them do their jobs. In addition to reducing workplace injuries, these devices help improve both quality and throughput. More and more, manufacturing engineers are realizing that every tool should have its place and every place its tool. No matter what the industry, hunting for tools is an obvious waste of time, even if an operator only spends a few seconds doing it.
At the most basic level, assemblers have the option of employing retractors, spring-loaded reels that exert an upward force on a tool, lifting it up and out of the way when not in use. These come in two basic forms: wire reels that are clipped to the tool, which is then powered by a separate umbilical; and line reels, or hose reels, in which the pneumatic umbilical itself supports the tool as it is wound and unwound in the retractor.