Vacuum lifting reduces costs

RECENT advances in Vacuum Lifting technology has allowed increased load handling capacities providing greater flexibility for handling of goods and allowing local manufacturers to increase their throughput by reducing lead times and labour inputs, often amounting to huge cost savings, as explained by Millsom Hoists Pty Ltd .

A local manufacturer of concrete stumps and concrete pavers for the house building industry wanted a system not only to handle its stumps and pavers in a safe manner, but also decrease its manufacturing lead times. Millsom Materials Handling provided a solution by installing a Vacuum Lifting system using Schmalz SEG ejectors to handle 5 stumps at a time.

In another part of their operation, concrete pavers, which are manufactured in a large number of sizes, are handled using four specially manufactured heads that enables the operator to lift up to (depending on their size), four pavers at any time.

By installing the Millsom Vacuum Handling system and through rationalisation of its product line, this manufacturer has not only been able to increase throughput per person eightfold, but also has decreased the need for manual labour from 22 people to 5 people, significantly reducing labour costs, and their high rates of injury, which also has provided the Company the added benefit of lower Work Cover premiums.

In another instance, a manufacturer of hardened steel plate wanted to handle their large sheets sizes on a variety of cranes as cost effectively as possible. Due to the size, hardness and weight of the sheets, they weren't able to be handled by traditional methods, so Millsom Materials Handling implemented a Vacuum Handling system using a spreader beam with an integrated handle and two attached Schmalz ECO1000 VacuMaster Vacuum Lifters.

The use of the Vacuum Lifting system has allowed the safer lifting of these sheets as well as enabling the manufacturer to utilise the lifter on multiple cranes, providing added flexibility and cost saving.

The use of a Millsom Vacuum Handling system can often have significant payback benefits, and in some instances, with the productivity gains and labour reductions, the payback period has only been as little as six months.