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Unloading Aids

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There are various types of equipment on the market to make manual unloading more convenient. These tools include mobile lifting platforms, vacuum lifting aids and platforms mounted on telescopic belt (boom) conveyors.

In the first place, this kind of equipment offers ergonomic advantages. Workers don’t have to pick up heavy cartons from the floor or reach beyond their capacity for the highest carton just below the ceiling of the container. Also, this equipment provides some efficiency gains.

Advantages

  • Ergonomics: By reducing the lifting and moving of cartons, these unloading aids reduce the physical strain on workers, decreasing the risk of injuries.
  • Increased Efficiency: These unloading aids speed up the unloading process compared to manual unloading, reducing turnaround times. They often include automated features that streamline the process, reducing the need for manual labour.

Disadvantages

  • Footprint: In front of the dock levellers, a couple of meters should be reserved for manoeuvring space for the vehicle moving from one dock to another. Also the flexible roller conveyor has a significant footprint.
  • Cost & ROI: Even though implementation of this equipment might lead to some productivity increase, this kind of equipment mainly brings ergonomic gains rather than economic gains. The operator still needs to handle each case manually, and needs to control the equipment.

Conclusion

Container unloading aids offer substantial benefits in terms of health & safety and efficiency. However, they sometimes come with significant investment costs and unclear business cases. For companies dealing with higher volumes of inbound containerized goods, the benefits often outweigh the cost, leading to long-term improvements in ergonomics and productivity.

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Traditional robots are heavy and therefore immobile. Cobots are too slow and therefore unproductive. That is why we have developed a palletizing robot ourselves. The ultimate balance between functionality, speed and precision.

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