Exacto Enhances Safety and Efficiency with TAWI Vacuum Lifters
Exacto, a private label manufacturer in the agricultural industry, was looking for a way to protect employees from lifting thousands of pounds of boxes each day.
Exacto is a private label manufacturer of adjuvants and surfactants. They serve the agricultural industry and handles large-scale production every day. Heavy lifting was once a daily challenge that left employees exhausted and at risk of injury. By implementing TAWI vacuum lifters, Exacto improved employee well-being and increased efficiency across its packaging lines.
Exacto — Agritech Manufacturing at Scale
Exacto is a trusted private label producer, supplying essential agricultural companies across the globe. With high-volume production lines running continuously, the company’s daily handling tasks can weigh in at an astounding 30-38 tons, presenting genuine challenges for efficiency, safety, and employee well-being. The sheer weight and repetitive nature of moving boxes, often weighing up to 27 kg each, created significant strain on employees and posed a long-term risk to productivity.
The Challenge: Heavy Boxes, Tired Employees
Before introducing TAWI solutions, employees frequently relied on pain relievers just to get through their shifts. The physical strain from lifting thousands of kilos per day not only affected their health but also threatened the consistency of production.
“Before TAWI, sometimes you’d eat ibuprofen like M&Ms just to get the job done,” explained Joe Greenlee, Production Cell Leader. “But since we had the TAWI system installed, it’s been a blessing.”
The company needed a solution that could protect its employees while maintaining output on its busy packaging lines.
The Solution: Easy, Fast, and Effective with TAWI
After testing TAWI vacuum lifters at a demo facility, the company was immediately impressed. Within just a few minutes, employees were lifting 27 kg boxes with ease. The learning curve was minimal, and the benefits were obvious from the start.
Today, the facility operates three TAWI vacuum lifters across its production lines. The systems are mounted on beams with shared pumps, allowing employees to handle heavy boxes safely and efficiently all day long.
Installation was fast and seamless, taking only six to seven hours.
The Results: A Healthier, More Flexible Workforce
The impact of the lifters has been felt company-wide:
- Improved Employee Health: Workers no longer end their shifts in pain or exhaustion. The strain on backs, shoulders, and joints has been dramatically reduced.
- Greater Workforce Flexibility: With TAWI, anyone can handle heavy boxes, regardless of size or strength. “You don’t have to be a linebacker anymore,” one employee said. “Even someone five-foot-one (155 cm) can do the job.”
- Increased Morale: Employees no longer fight to avoid lifting tasks. Instead, they view the lifters as a helpful tool that makes work easier and safer.
- Operational Efficiency: With fatigue reduced, production lines run smoothly from start to finish, ensuring that output targets are met without overburdening staff.
The project even exceeded the high expectations of management:
“It’s nice to walk into the factory, see the work that’s going on, and know that purchase made the job better for the people doing it. And the end result is — it’s better for the company” said Doug Nickerson, Plant Manager.