- raise the productivity of each worker when the frequency of handling is high
- improve product quality and limit damage to materials and equipment when the item handled is heavy or awkward to hold and damage is likely through human error or inattention
- reduce fatigue and injuries when the environment is hazardous or inaccessible.
The major types of positioning equipment are:
1.)Used when positioning involves the lifting, tilting, or turning of a load
2.)Can be used to reduce or limit a worker’s lifting and/or reaching motions
3.)Pallet load levelers are lift and turn tables used in manual palletizing to reduce the amount of bending and stooping involved with manually loading a pallet by combining a lifting and turning mechanism with a device that lowers the table as each layer is completed so that loading always takes place at the optimal height of 30 inches
1.)Used at loading docks to compensate for height differences between a truck bed and the dock
1.)Used in conveyor systems to permit manual transfer to and from machines and conveyors and between different sections of conveyors by pushing the loads on the table.
2.)Maximum load weight to 600 lbs.
1.)Used for the synchronous transfer of small parts from station to station in a single workcenter
2.)Circular table rotates in discrete intermittent steps to advance parts between stations located along its perimeter
3.)Different from conveyors used as in-line indexing machines, where linear transfers can take place between multiple workcenters separated by long distances, since a rotary index table is restricted to circular transfers with a single compact workcenter
1.)Used for feeding and orienting small identical parts, particularly in automatic assembly operations
2.)Motion can be imparted through vibration, gravity, centrifugal force, tumbling, or air pressure
3.)Parts feeders can be used to provide inspection capabilities with respect to the shape and weight of parts (e.g., the coin feeder of a vending machine)
1.)Used for vertical translation (i.e., lifting and lowering) of loads
2.)Frequently attached to cranes and monorails to provide vertical translation capability
3.)Can be operated manually, electrically, or pneumatically
Manipulator
1.)Used for vertical and horizontal translation and rotation of loads
2.)Acting as "muscle multipliers," manipulators counterbalance the weight of a load so that an operator lifts a small portion (1%) of the load’s weight
3.)Can be powered manually, electrically, or pneumatically
4.)Manipulators fill the gap between hoists and industrial robots: they can be used for a wider range of positioning tasks than hoists and are more flexible than industrial robots due to their use of manual control
1.)Extends a jib crane’s reaching capability in a work area through the use of additional links or "arms"
1.)Provides increased flexibility
1.)Used in positioning to provide variable programmed motions of loads
2.)Industrial robots also used for parts fabrication, inspection, and assembly tasks
3.)Robot’s end-effector can be equipped with mechanical grippers, vacuum grippers, electromechanical grippers, welding heads, paint spray heads, or any other tooling
