Assembler Safety Made Fail-Proof With Fall-Arrest Systems

Sometimes welding and machine-assembly work is dangerous and requires the use of a fall-arrest system. Lifline specializes in making fall-arrest systems with a mobile steel base. Manufacturers such asCaterpillarand Lockheed Martin use these systems to save lives and prevent injuries.

Lifline mobile fall-arrest systems have a

maximum arresting force of 3,600 pounds

and meet OSHA specifications. Photo courtesy

Caster Concepts

The system’s mobile base is made of galvanized grating and features three wheels: one in the back and two in the front. For several years, Lifline used 8-inch wheels, but they sometimes failed. The company overcame this problem in 2011 with the help of Caster Concepts, which manufactures wheels and castors for industrial applications.

“Our equipment is intended to save lives and prevent injuries,” says Ted Wilkerson, president of Lifline. “So it has to work every time.”

Castor Concepts developed a fail-proof 16-inch solid-rubber wheel that also offers more maneuverability. This is especially beneficial for the back wheel, which rotates and lets users steer the base into position. Once the base is in position, all three wheels are locked.

Lifline makes eight systems, all of which have a maximum arresting force of 3,600 pounds and meet OSHA specifications. The systems feature a 2,500-pound brake winch, a two-person anchor point and a retractable three-way rescue with 65-foot galvanized cable and mounting bracket.

When fully extended, the systems have a maximum height of 18 or 22 feet and minimum height of 15 or 19 feet. Base width is 10 or 11 feet. Base length is 89 inches or 10 feet.

In the folded position, the systems have a maximum height of 92 or 108 inches. Base width is 5 feet, 3 inches, or 6 feet, 3 inches. Base length is 53 inches.

Two FP-926-ACWB systems can be used to support a 25-foot-long I-Beam with trolley. The worker hooks onto the trolley and safely moves in any direction.

For more information on custom wheels, call 517-629-8838 or visit www.casterconcepts.com.

The ASSEMBLY Show South

ASSEMBLY is thrilled to return to the Music City Center in Nashville, TN for The ASSEMBLY Show SOUTH on May 1-2, 2024. This is a booming time for manufacturing and the U.S. South is right in the heart of the action. According to ASSEMBLY’s most recent annual capital spending survey, the South is projected to account for 31 percent of total spending this year, marking the fifth straight year this region has accounted for at least 30 percent of capital spending in the U.S.

In this session, manufacturers will learn how Quality function deployment (QFD) can transform consumers’ qualitative demands into quantitative parameters that will shape the design of their product and, ultimately, their manufacturing process.

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