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Kaizen is a Japanese term for making small incremental changes in continuous improvement with the goal of improving efficiency and performance.
These positive changes often come from the people closest to the work process and who will be most affected by a change.
An opportunity for positive change appeared when a Tier 1 automotive manufacturer team member reported excessive fatigue due to the effort needed to move materials from a blanking operation to a transfer press via a material handling cart. Manual operation was required because forklifts could not be used in the area.
The current wheels on the cart were not designed to support the heavy weight of the materials, which made the
2,200 lb. cart hard to push and caused overexertion injuries to the workers.
When the wheels were changed to TWERGO® wheels, the effort required to move the carts was reduced by 60%. Push force was reduced from 37 lbs. to 15 lbs. At this much-lowered push force, a much more significant percentage of workers could move the carts without injuries, resulting in a happier and healthier workforce.
The dramatic reduction in push force was achieved due to the ergonomic design of the TWERGO casters. These casters feature a multiple-wheel-in-one design with tapered wheels that spin independently and can rotate in either direction at any rate.
The ergonomic benefits of this design provided a significant reduction in the initial and continuous push force required to move the wheels.
Maintenance-free bearings in the swivel section also ensure a noticeable decrease in the force required to turn and maneuver the casters.
Durability is another advantage of TWERGO® wheels: A unique polyurethane tread provides high rebound and durable tear strength for long-lasting wear.
For more on the benefits of TWERGO wheels, click here or contact a Caster Concepts Representative for more information on using ergonomic casters to increase productivity.
