As technology continues to transform the world of manual materials handling, more and more businesses are exploring the benefits of Intelligent Lifting Devices (ILDs) over manual lifting and traditional lifting devices. With promises of enhanced productivity, reduced product damage and fewer jobsite injuries, the arguments in favor of switching over are compelling. But the real question remains: do ILDs live up to these promises?
An offshoot of the robotics field that focuses on humanmachine systems, ILDs leverage the strength and power of a machine with the control and cognitive thinking of a human, essentially filling the void between manual and automated robotic solutions. First deployed in material-handling facilities in the late 1990s, ILDs have proven quite valuable.
For example, repetitive-motion tasks such as picking and placing have become exponentially safer and more cost-effective, as worker fatigue and ergonomic-related injuries are virtually eliminated. Precision placements have also been greatly enhanced with products such as Gorbel’s G-Force® Intelligent Lifting Devices, which give workers exceptional product control, reducing the likelihood of damage to both the products being moved and the fixtures and machines they’re being placed into.
In order to quantify the actual ergonomic benefits of its G-Force ILD technology, Gorbel commissioned a third-party study. This report will summarize and highlight the study’s findings.