A vacuum powered Hover-Lift system has been installed at a factory near Bristol, in the UK, to lift finished tumble dryers off an assembly line and into their polystyrene packaging.
Previously the factory, owned by General Domestic Appliances, used a pneumatic tilting system to lift the 40kg appliances, but a change in work practices meant this was too slow.
The success of the new vacuum lifting system prompted the client to install two more Hover-Lifts, manufactured by Craven Associates. One is used in the assembly process and the other in the quality audit process.
“The Hover-Lift has provided a user friendly solution which has helped improve our operational efficiency,” said General Domestic Appliances production engineer Dave Cason. “The system has demonstrated reliability and has required very little maintenance, which are critical factors given the serious implications of assembly line downtime.”