HANDLE HEAVY LOADS WITH “BIONIC STRENGTH” MANIPULATOR
The fully-counterbalanced Famatec Friendly ergonomic manipulator from Haeco eliminates back strain and repetitive motion injury and is ideal for stress-free maneuvering and orienting of heavy loads up to 880 lb, almost any object or flat material, smooth or rough, from metal plate to drums. Fully counterbalanced load.
Posted: July 1, 2011
This fully-counterbalanced ergonomic manipulator eliminates back strain and repetitive motion injury and is ideal for stress-free maneuvering and orienting of heavy loads up to 880 lb, almost any object or flat material, smooth or rough, from metal plate to drums. Fully counterbalanced load.
The pneumatically powered Famatec Friendly ergonomic manipulator from Haeco (Loveland OH) counterbalances heavy loads to allow an operator to effortlessly suspend, rotate, tilt and transfer product with precision. Equipped with appropriate end-of-arm tooling, it is the ultimate “friend” for manipulating, transferring or installing product, from automotive assembly to pallet loading, for wheels, bags, dashboards and small engines or wood, glass plate and barrels.
Three different models offer load capacities of 330 lb, 550 lb and 880 lb, with a working radius of 20 ft (6 m). Available exclusively from Haeco, the Friendly costs less than an average worker’s compensation back-injury claim, according to the company.
The Friendly adapts to the operator’s preferred working height and position, allowing loads to be smoothly and progressively positioned and placed during assembly, suspended for further processing, or simply transferred from one location to another. Once suspended, the product can be moved manually or under power. The simple, intuitive control console allows adjustment of the counterbalance force, rotation, tilt, braking and parking. Suspended product can be rotated ±90 deg under power or rotated continuously by hand, with a powered tilting range of 0 deg to 93 deg.
The console slides on the handle to adapt to the operator’s preferred working height and position, nearer or farther from the product. Product release is safe – protected by a special safety device that supports the product until it reaches its destination. The Friendly is available with a wide range of mounting options, including column, overhead, tracks, wheeled, or with a free standing, fork-truck transportable base.
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