The hottest improved machine prevents injury

Improving machines to prevent injury

today, one of the biggest challenges encountered in packaging production is to maintain safety and obtain higher production efficiency in a highly competitive market. Manufacturers and suppliers work together to find ergonomic solutions

bending, lifting, twisting and pushing, as well as the repetition of actions, sound like these instructions issued by the fitness class, but may also be various actions done by workers in packaging production. The difference between the two is that the fitness class may last for an hour and will not lift more than 10 pounds. Conversely, packaging workers do these actions all day long, and the weight of things like steel frames they lift tends to reach 120 pounds

repeated hand movements, lifting or pushing objects, and long-term incorrect working posture are all risk factors for musculoskeletal disease (WMSD). WMSDs symptoms range from mild to severe physical weakness. Typical examples are carpal tunnel syndrome, neck stiffness, and lower back pain

for workers, in addition to suffering, WMSDs will also cause temporary loss of working ability or permanent disability, while for factories, it will lead to the loss of working hours and the increase of workers' compensation costs. One way to prevent WMSDs and reduce the corresponding costs is to integrate ergonomics into production

"ergonomics is to make the design of work and production workshops match people's actual abilities and limits," said Sean Craig, product manager of Tidland group, which produces reel products in camas, Washington, "In all flexible packaging production applications, machine operators repeat a large number of actions every day. The replacement of each drum may require a worker to deal with the shaft or drum, and these components must be designed so that there is no danger of WMSDs with the passage of time."

"today, one of the biggest challenges encountered in packaging production is to maintain safety and obtain higher production efficiency in a highly competitive market." Jerry Morton, general manager of tilt lock company in St. Michael, Minnesota, said, "to ensure the safety of workers, it is necessary to have a continuous monitoring of product processing technology. The result may be a sharp decline in workers' compensation claims, production time losses and limited duty records caused by industrial injuries."

ergonomic solutions

the following is a list of potential hazardous work, physical risk factors and ergonomic solutions in packaging production

dangerous work: handling, correcting and loading rollers

risk factors: incorrect working posture, repeated effects and lifting heavy objects

solution: use automatic roller processing equipment to provide an adjustable working platform. In order to minimize the twisting action of workers, materials can be placed as close to workers as possible

hazardous work: handling and loading bearings

risk factors: incorrect working posture and lifting heavy objects

solution: reduce the weight of the bearing, provide an adjustable working platform to position the center of the drum 28 to 37 inches above the ground, and use automatic bearing processing equipment

dangerous work: start of bearing/chuck

risk factors: incorrect working posture

solution: provide quick release air valve and pneumatic wrench, and place the bearing/chuck at the height of elbow for convenient operation

dangerous work: change the axis size

risk factors: incorrect working posture and lifting heavy objects

solution: position the bearing/chuck above the elbow height, and use the lightweight adapter to change the axis size

dangerous work: continuously support the bearing/chuck

risk factors: incorrect working posture, repeated impact on people and lifting heavy objects

solution: place the bearing/chuck above the elbow height, provide a mechanical handle, and use the continuous support feature of the machine

this table does not include everything. In order to identify and implement these solutions, manufacturers need to work with their suppliers to produce the right engineering tools. The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also has a comprehensive WMSDs treatment method to provide strategies to reduce the incidence of work-related injuries. OSHA also has 10 coordination experts who can help manufacturers establish ergonomic projects

"since manufacturers know from their employees which tasks are the most difficult and/or dangerous, they require the seller of these equipment to design and provide equipment that does not require manual operation steps, such as lifting and overturning the drum by hand, because these operations may cause work injury or fatigue." Jeff Damour, the engineering manager of converter accessory in wind gap, Pennsylvania, said

remember people and break away from the welding surface, showing ductile fracture ergonomics

want to know how to implement ergonomic safety procedures? Measuring is the first key step, Morton said. "Measure the average size and weight of the drum, the diameter of the shaft, the operating height, the height of the pallet and the productivity," he said. Tilt lock is one of the suppliers that add engineering design to its equipment in order to end industrial accidents caused by weight lifting while maintaining high productivity

according to the equipment provided by roller, bearing and material processing equipment suppliers, manufacturers hope to find lighter components. The weight of steel bearings with a standard diameter of 3 inches is about 50 to 75 pounds, and the weight of 6 inches is 90 to 120 pounds. The bearing quality required by manufacturers is only half of the above at most, but the strength still needs to be able to support the drum with enough weight and follow up the rapid production speed. However, lighter components usually have a poor bearing capacity on the drum and the ability to maintain rapid production

tidland group got out of this dilemma by designing an aluminum with higher cross-section hardness to produce bearing bodies manufactured by extrusion process. "This method makes up for the shortcomings of the inherent strength and stiffness of standard aluminum tubes," Craig said. "For the produced mandrel, the result is that it is light in weight, but it is still very strong and rigid, which can support the rollers with existing quality and pipes that can run at high speed."

although lightweight equipment still has some defects, it is still one of the most desired product types. "Lighter bearings are often a simpler and more effective solution than bulky processing equipment," said BRET Hardy, marketing manager of Double E Co. in Bridgewater, Massachusetts

however, some manufacturers are looking for material handling equipment with a quality of only 20 to 40. "This seems a little superfluous, but it's because employees have to deal with hundreds of the same materials every day," said Chris van haasteren, President of schlumf, Inc., Windham, Maine, with a total of 1.8 million people, "Operators working in this environment are vulnerable to extreme fatigue and repeated sports injuries, so it is worthwhile for a company to invest little preventive measures, which has played an invaluable role in expanding the use of such materials in NASA."

when looking for material handling equipment, it is very important to involve everyone in the decision-making process, especially those who must use the equipment

"the simpler the processing equipment is, the easier it is for operators to use it," van haasteren said. "We found that keeping clean (it's best to clean after each experiment); the least complex solution is usually the best solution."

the benefits of ergonomics

the availability of engineering tools and the growing awareness of WMSDs have helped the industry recognize the benefits of ergonomics. According to the Puget Sound Ergonomics Society in Olympia, Washington, after evaluating the ergonomic benefits embodied in 250 cases, it was found that the incidence of WMSDs decreased by an average of 55% in factories that established ergonomic projects. The costs related to WMSD have been reduced by 70% on average, and the production efficiency has been improved by 20%. These results are typical across the United States, learn to say

"the huge amount of employee compensation insurance, medical expenses and the pain and illness borne by employees have greatly enhanced the awareness of employers, thus increasing the demand for processing equipment with ergonomic principles." Van haasteren said. "In the past, when there were chronic recurrent sports injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, it was likely to be ignored or ignored. Employers now pay great attention to avoiding the occurrence of work-related injuries and early treatment, so that employees can maintain good physical condition and working condition while significantly saving costs."

source: packaging Expo