Too Many Carts with Different Casters was Taking a Toll on Productivity and Profits.

Problem:

  • Non-standardization of casters increased maintenance costs
  • Significant time spent ordering new casters due to high model variance
  • Uneven wear cycles and quality of casters causing injuries when moving carts
  • Reduced efficiency meant more carts needed to fulfill job requirements

With material handling carts constantly transporting materials, one busy automotive factory was having maintenance and injury problems due to the volume of carts and the wide assortment of casters being used on them. It was a hodgepodge of casters that was piling on operating costs and worker injuries. Not to mention the significant amount of time it was taking in finding the right caster part number when it was time for a replacement.

Even more problematic was the increase in injuries due to push force on the carts exceeding 50 pounds. This situation alone was costing the company more than $120K a year in workplace injuries and lost productivity.

Solution:

  • $82,000 saved by reducing the exertion needed to move carts
  • $40,000 saved in labor and maintenance costs with ERGOXCEL™ Casters
  • $278,000 saved by fewer carts needed to move heavy cartloads safely

ERGOXCEL™ ergonomic maintenance-free casters replaced the hodgepodge of casters that were currently in use. The elimination of maintenance (such as greasing) saved the company $40,000 in yearly costs, while the reduction of injuries due to overexertion from pushing a cart that was too heavy saved the company $82,000 per year.

Return On Investment:

With the ERGOXCEL™ rigs, one of the plants was able to decrease the number of dollies needed because each cart was now able to carry more weight safely and with less effort, which lead to an additional savings of $278,000.