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The shipping crew at Hawe Hydraulik repeatedly lift and move boxes weighing up to 40kg; a strenuous job with substantial risk of injury. Operations Manager Jeff MaDouse, together with the company’s CEO, decided to improve the situation for their staff. By implementing a TAWI vacuum lifter in the shipping and receiving department they have eliminated the risk of lift injury, and as a bonus they are now able to get more done in less time.

50% reduction in time unloading boxes

The shipping crew is now unloading boxes in 10 minutes, as opposed to 20 minutes. This means each shift has gained one extra hour of completed work, and processing their boxes to pallets have been dramatically simplified.

The challenge

Life’s Abundance wanted to find a back- and time-saving alternative for handling 20kg sacks of pet food. They realised that the pace of the company’s grwoth would make keeping up with demand nearly impossible for warehouse staff without some kind of innovation.

The solution

After a thorough analysis of their workflow, Life’s Abundance was recommended to implement a TAWI vacuum lifter. The lifter was installed and employees quickly learned how to use it. A couple of months in, the staff could not imagine working without the lifter. After seeing great results in both productivity and employee wellbeing, the company has continued to implement TAWI vacuum lifters in all their warehouse facilities in the US.

Manual routine lifting, every day

At RPC Superfos, in Randers, large amounts of packaging products are produced and packed all week 24 hours a day. As a part of their daily work, the packing employees pack the finished products into cardboard boxes and place them on pallets. They have many lifting operations over shoulder height and stack cardboard boxes up to 2.6 meters in height. These kinds of routine lifting operations affect the body in the long term and could lead to work-related injuries.

Vacuum lifters were the solution to the problem

We contacted TAWI and together we found a solution that fits perfectly to our needs. We have used the same company for over 18 years now as our favorite supplier when it comes to lifting equipment.

Ergonomics is our top priority

The vacuum lifters are used day and night by the packing employees and all new members of the staff are taught how to operate the lifting equipment as a part of their training. They use the vacuum lifters with suction foots and lift with hooks. “We would not be able to handle the manual lifting operations without them”, says Susan Betzer, packing employee and work environment representative at RPC Superfos Randers. Henning Frederiksen, Project Manager, continues: “With our vacuum lifters, we lower the risk of work-related injuries happening in the long run. Moreover, our employees are pleased that we have found a solution that considers their health and well-being”.

Rockwool, world leading supplier of stone wool products and insulation systems, have invested in several ergonomic lift systems from TAWI. At their production site in Belgium, vacuum lifters and lifting trolleys are used daily to lift and transport various goods and they have become a natural part of the production flow. By investing in TAWI lifting equipment, Rockwool wanted to make the work easier and more ergonomic for the employees.

Lifting 7200kg of boxes every day, effortlessly

Lifting boxes weighing between 20-30 kg and stacking them on pallets was done by hand until a few years ago. One pallet can contain up to 72 boxes, each box weighing around 25 kg, equalizing a total weight of around 1800 kg per pallet. One employee will fill at least four pallets per shift, lifting a total of 7200 kg. Using TAWI lifters, these weights can be handled in a time efficient way and without putting any harmful strain on the workers bodies.

Improved employee health and satisfaction

Since the investment was made the lifters have been used on every shift, every day. The production workers have experienced positive time saving effects since they can now maintain the same work speed all day, without getting tired. Danny Flass, production site supervisor, is convinced that the investment in TAWI lifting equipment pays off quickly due to the obvious health benefits for the employees.

At Jopen Brewery in the Netherlands, hundreds of boxes with beer bottles are loaded on pallets every day. One box weighs 13,5kg and one pallet contains 60 boxes, which equals a total weight of 810kg per pallet. Large and heavy beer kegs are also picked from conveyors, turned 90 degrees and placed on pallets. One keg weighs 26,5kg, and every pallet contains 20 kegs. Using TAWI lifting solutions, these processes are both time efficient and ergonomic, effectively increasing employee health and wellbeing.

Optimized work flow with TAWI lifters

Lifting the filled beer kegs is very strenuous if done by hand, especially since they need to be turned 90 degrees before being placed on the pallet. Using TAWI vacuum lifter, the kegs are handled effortlessly by one single employee. With integrated turning function the kegs are easily tilted 90 degrees with one quick movement.

Effortless handling of boxes and kegs all day, every day

The employees use TAWI lifters on every shift, every day. “The equipment is easy to use and loading boxes and kegs on pallets is both fast and ergonomic using the vacuum lifters”, Matthijs van der Geest, Jopen Brewery.

Workers at the SCA production unit in Falkenberg, Sweden handle many big and bulky reels every day. The reels are picked from pallets and transported to a machine where they are lifted and mounted in the machine. Reels need to be picked up both horizontally and vertically, and thanks to a recent investment in six new TAWI Lifting Trolleys, SCA workers are now able to do that effortlessly.

The investment in the new trolleys was an important step in improving ergonomics and reducing the risk of long term problems caused by repeated manual lifting. With the lifting trolleys, reels are easily picked up from pallets or racks, rotated, transported and mounted on the machine shaft. The ergonomic and comfortable handle, and the fact that the trolleys are easy to roll and transport, are seen as great added benefits.

Thanks to the investment in the new generation TAWI Lifting Trolleys, SCA are able to avoid heavy manual handling and minimize the strain on workers’ backs, shoulders and knees.

Clarebout, producer of pre-fried and frozen potato products, have invested in their employee’s health and wellbeing. At their production site in Belgium, TAWI ergonomic lifting solutions are used at several work stations to handle big and heavy rolls. The lifting equipment makes it possible for one employee to lift 80 kg rolls from pallets and transport them into packaging machines, all without putting any harmful strain on their bodies.

One person can lift and transport 80 kg rolls, effortlessly

In the packaging process, Clarebout employees lift the large and heavy film rolls from pallets, stacked vertically in two layers. They tilt them from vertical to a horizontal position and then transport the rolls to packaging machines where the fries are filled in bags, closed and sorted for further supply. 80 kg rolls are not easy to lift, tilt and transport in an ergonomic and time efficient way, but TAWI lifting equipment has made this possible.

Optimized work flow and ergonomics

By combining different lift systems from TAWI, Clarebout was able to get a complete solution for handling rolls. Ergonomically, safely and efficiently. To optimize the work flow, a hoist lift is used for lifting the rolls from pallets, tilting them and placing them horizontally on a lifting trolley. The lifting trolley is then used to transport and mount the rolls into the packaging machine. The two lift systems from TAWI work together seamlessly to ensure a time efficient and ergonomic work flow.

As a manufacturer of bakery ingredients, Bakels Aromatic mix raw produce according to recipes by emptying sacks with ingredients into mixing tanks. The various mixes are used for bread, confetti and confectionary products and distributed to various segments in more than 120 countries.

Every day, hundreds of sacks filled with bakery ingredients are lifted from pallets, transported to mixing tanks and emptied. To keep a consistent and optimal production flow Bakels Aromatic need lifting aids to save employee’s backs, arms and shoulders.

TAWI ergonomic vacuum lifters

It’s been several years since Bakels Aromatic decided to try a vacuum lifter from TAWI to help employees lift and empty heavy sacks. Since then the vacuum lifters have become a natural part of the production process and today the production site in Gothenburg has six TAWI vacuum systems at various work stations around their facility. The lifters are used all day, every day.

Production efficiency and workforce flexibility

With TAWI vacuum lifters the employees can handle several pallets of heavy sacks without straining their bodies or losing speed. “The lifters are necessary for us in our daily work, both to increase efficiency in the production and to improve the ergonomic health of the employees”, Jonas Eriksson, Production manager.

When the Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly, Systembolaget, opened up a new store in Kungsbacka, TAWI vacuum lifter was installed in an aluminum crane system to facilitate ergonomic and efficient unloading of products. Some among the staff doubted the benefit of the lift at first and chose to continue lifting manually, with no aid. But when the company’s annual review recently revealed an increase in problems with back and knees among the staff, management encouraged them to start using all ergonomic tools at hand.

In the Kungsbacka store we meet Henrik who admits that he was rather skeptical at first, fearing that the vacuum lift would make his work more time consuming. But after using the lift every day for one month he changed his mind. “It is nice to be relieved from the heavy lifting, and you can feel such a difference at the end of the day”, says Henrik.

There is consensus among the staff that the Cobra is an excellent tool which is easy to use and handles most types of boxes. “On a busy day we might need to pick 20 pallets. If you pick without the tool the first pallet might be quicker, but in total you will save time by using the vacuum lifter since you will be able to keep an even pace throughout the day. And you won’t be completely exhausted afterwards”, Henrik concludes.

TOPCRET is a company dedicated to the production and placement of microcement and coatings to make microcement floors, microcement walls and microcement for bathrooms.

They contacted TAWI with a request for a pallet-to-hopper sack handler. They were manually lifting heavy sacks of microcement and needed help to improve this process.

Today they are very happy as they have improved the handling process, handling speed and above all ergonomics for their employees.

Hempel is a world leading company in paints and coatings for the industrial, naval, nautical and decoration markets.

After meeting TAWI at an exhibition in 2012, Hempel invested in ATEX certified lifting equipment to handle paint drums. In early 2020, they continued improvements of their material handling operations by adding a TAWI vacuum lifter to transfer sacks from one pallet to another.

Hempel tell us that they are very happy with the TAWI solution because they can now lift and move a wide variety of sacks at a high pace. Thanks to the TAWI lifters, operators have been able to increase productivity without any additional effort.

Natural Rubio Stone in Spain produces and markets a selection of stone blocks used for construction.

Manually handling stone blocks that weigh up to 80 kg is exhausting and dangerous work. The company contacted TAWI looking for a solution that would improve ergonomics and safety.

After implementing two TAWI vacuum lifters they have seen improvements, not only in ergonomics and safety, but also in productivity as workers can now move the stones faster.

Irostel is a manufacturing company, producing plastic coatings and closure systems used in the food, agriculture and packaging industries.

Back injuries due to heavy lifting

In 2017 the company decided to incorporate TAWI Multifuntional lifters to facilitate handling of boxes and bags in their production. Lifting heavy sacks and boxes had been tough on workers, causing back injuries and pain.

Immediate effects of ergonomic lifters

When starting to use the TAWI lifters, workers noticed the benefits immediately. They could now avoid the back problems they had suffered before, due to the forced postures that their manipulation required. The manager says that he noticed the change from the first moment. He had also had to do such manipulations at the beginning of his career and could clearly see the benefits of the ergonomic lifters.

In addition to the ergonomic benefits, Irostel have also been able to increase productivity by being able to carry out movements at a higher speed.

IQV is a leading company in the manufacture of copper salts in the global fungicide market. In order to carry out their activity, they must handle a large amount of raw material, much of which is packaged in 25 kg sacks.
In the bag transfer section, activity never stops. To improve both worker health and productivity, IQV contacted TAWI.

An ergonomic solution

TAWI representatives visited the IQV plant in Cheste, Spain, studying the location before suggesting a lifting solution suitable for their needs. To improve both productivity and worker well-being, IQV installed a TAWI vacuum lifter that covers the whole area of bag transfer and allows the operators to move large quantities of bags quickly and safely.

The results could not have been better. Company and workers were so satisfied with the TAWI solution that after a few months they installed another equipment. On this occasion, the need they had to satisfy was the dumping of sacks in the reactor area. TAWI proposed the installation of another vacuum bag lifter, but this time mounted on a mobile crane arm that would allow them to feed the different hoppers in the area.

BIOVERT is a chemical company in the agriculture sector, which is dedicated to the research, development and production of special fertilizers.

BIOVERT contacted TAWI in need of a solution for lifting cardboard boxes from conveyor to pallet. Their products are packaged in these cardboard boxes and then put on pallet for transport. Now using a TAWI vacuum lifter for palletizing the boxes, instead of doing it manually, they save a lot of time.

This customer benefits a lot from the TAWI solution. First and foremost in productivity where the palletizing speed has almost doubled, but also through improved ergonomics and a complete elimination of damaged goods in the palletizing process.

ALM is a company dedicated to the design and manufacture of a wide range of aluminium containers adapted to all the needs of its customers.

The challenge

Within their production process there is a need to feed a hopper with metal components. These are supplied in cardboard boxes, some weighing up to 30kg. To avoid the excessive effort involved in this manipulation, ALM management contacted TAWI. They wanted advice and a solution that would improve ergonomics and safety for the operator without affecting productivity.

The TAWI solution

After a site visit at ALM, we proposed a TAWI box handler. They liked the idea in theory, but before making a decision they wanted the end user to test it and give their opinion. We set up a demonstration of a unit at their facilities. The test was successful and served to carry the project forward.

Successful implementation

After several months of using the equipment daily, the result could not be better. Both the operator and the company value the equipment highly, appreciating how it has improved their work environment and the work process.

Zabolak specialize in finishing of wooden flooring and panels, from raw material to structuring, staining, oiling and packaging. After packaging, the finished wood bundles need to be palletized. The bundles weigh up to 50kg and without ergonomic lifting equipment this needs to be handled by 2 people.

Palletizing 50kg bundles of wood without effort

At Zabolak in the Netherlands, palletizing the finished wood product is facilitated by using TAWI vacuum lifter. The operators use the lift system on a daily basis and it makes the work easier and improves employee health. Using the vacuum lifter, the physical effort needed to put the large bundles on pallets is minimized.

Improved workforce flexibility

According to Mr. Henny Jacobs, Managing Director at Zabolak in Netherlands, another advantage of using TAWI lifting equipment is that every employee can work with the lifter, even temporary personnel learns very easy how to work with the lifter. “This makes people very flexible on that work station”, Henny Jacobs, Zabolak.

Previously, all sheets were handled manually. Each lifting operation was heavy and could only be carried out by the strength of two employees at a time. For that reason, it was difficult to complete packing an order without interruptions. Furthermore, it was challenging to avoid scratches and damages on edges and surfaces, which would then lead to complaints from our customers.

We contacted TAWI

We reached out to TAWI to find a durable solution to avoid heavy lifting operations and product damages.

Today, we have an improved workflow and get fewer complaints

Our vacuum lifter is used 25-50 times a day. It is a valuable tool that is used by all the employees in the storehouse, whenever they need lifting assistance. We can dispatch orders without interruptions, because the lifting can be handled by one person alone, and last but not least, we receive fewer complaints from customers because we avoid damaging the products.

Jotun Paints Europe Ltd operate an UPPER TIER COMAH site in the Humber Region. Jotun uses highly flammable solvents and resins in the manufacture of paint related products.

Jotun has a policy for employees to use manual handling aids for items weighing more than 25kg. Many of the products manufactured exceed this weight limit, therefore TAWI were contacted to find suitable lifting solutions. Due to the nature of the products used in manufacturing and filling, all equipment must be intrinsically safe and TAWI were asked to install ATEX rated equipment within the process areas capable of lifting up to 50kg.

Easy and efficient lifting

Jotun currently have vacuum lifting equipment in various designs and capacities in order to meet the requirements for different plant designs. The equipment is easy to use and completely removes the need for the operator to handle the item. Due to the success of the equipment used for filled cans or paint, Jotun are now looking to invest in more TAWI lifters for handling paper sacks in the manufacturing and goods receiving area.

LG Collection has more than 40 years experience of manufacturing wooden panels, laminated panels, sink hobs and mash panels in various materials. Every day the production employees lift and transport large and heavy sheets. About 10 years ago LG Collection made a decision to invest in a lifting system from TAWI. The decision derived from complaints amongst some employees, experiencing back and shoulder pain due to repetitive and heavy lifting.

Investing in TAWI lifting solutions

When one TAWI system was up and running the ergonomic health benefits instantly became clear. As a result, more of the employees started asking for lifting aids to avoid pain and physical tiredness. Today LG Collection have 20 different systems from TAWI in various stages of their production process, packaging and logistics.

Fewer sick days and greater workforce flexibility

With TAWI lifters everyone can lift large and heavy sheets and the employees can keep an even pace throughout the whole day without straining their bodies. “The amount of sick leaves have been minimized” says Björn Skoglund, production leader at LG Collection.

At DLG Vet, we need to lift sacks and heavy objects in the storehouse. Manual lifting operations were a normal part of the daily routine at work, and it was a tough challenge for the employees to handle in the long term.

We reached out to TAWI

We wanted a user-friendly solution that could ease the heavy lifting operations and we contacted TAWI.

A solution that fits our needs

Now that we have a vacuum lifter, we would not want to do without it – and hopefully we do not have to. The investment made a huge improvement in relation to our employees and the daily workflow. We all use the vacuum lifter, when needed, and it has given us a greater freedom and flexibility to do our jobs.