Top 5 Material Handling Devices for Positioning

Positioning equipment is used to handle material at a single location. This kind of material handling equipment is used in factories and warehouses to feed, orient, load/unload, or otherwise manipulate materials to place them in the correct position for subsequent handling, transport, or storage. The use of positioning equipment is more efficient than manual handling because it:

• Increases workers’ productivity levels when the frequency of handling is high
• Reduces damage to products and materials when they are heavy or awkward to hold and damage is possible through human error or inattention
• Reduces fatigue and injuries amongst employees.

So let us find out the top 5 of positioning equipment.

1. Lift/Tilt/Turn Table

Lift/Tilt/Turntables are used when the positioning of materials involves lifting, tilting, or turning. They are used to reduce a worker’s lifting and reaching motions. The load kept on the table can be easily rotated and moved around in a circular direction and can also be lifted from one position to another position. It transfers the loads from vertical to horizontal positions. The smallest amount of force is required to move extremely heavy loads in these tables. This is the most basic type of positioning equipment.

2. Industrial Manipulators

Manipulators are extremely useful devices that act as “muscle multipliers” by counterbalancing the weight of a load so that the operator lifts only a small amount (1%) of the load’s weight. 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 manual control. They can be powered manually, electrically, or pneumatically. A manipulator’s end-effector can be equipped with mechanical grippers, vacuum grippers, electromechanical grippers, or other tools based on requirements.

3. Vertical Inline Lifter

A vertical inline lifter is a simple device that can lift heavy loads up in the air. It makes it easy to position and set loads or objects in place quickly and precisely. Moreover, it lets you manually adjust the vertical position from the stop position. On the other hand, it is a sturdy and rigid device so you can lift weights with ease.

4. Hoists

A hoist is a lightweight device used for lifting or lowering material loads. It uses a drum mechanism or lift-wheel around which the lifting rope or chain wraps. A hoist can be operated manually, electrically, or pneumatically and may use chain, fiber, or wire rope as the lifting medium. The air hoist mini 500 by Conco is the perfect device for lightweight lifting operations.

5. Balancers

A balancer is like a hoist except for the fact that it provides higher accuracy and stability. It is a type of lifting equipment that will lift the load and make it nearly weightless. This is the ‘float’ feature of balancers that makes the material loads float in the air. Balancers can also be powered electrically, pneumatically, and manually. Conco offers the best-in-class air balancers in different variants.