The Challenge
Golden Refrigerant in Michigan ran into a specific material handling problem at their cylinder check-in line. They process thousands of steel refrigerant cylinders every year. The work is manual and repetitive. Operators lift, weigh, rotate, and record every single unit.
The engineering constraint was not just the static load. The cylinders weigh up to 80 pounds, but the mechanics of the lift made it harder. Operators had to reach deep into transport crates to extract them. This extended reach created a large moment arm on the shoulder joint. It placed significant effective load on the rotator cuff and lumbar spine. The high duty cycle caused fatigue and increased the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The company investigated solutions ranging from traditional overhead bridge cranes to experimental exoskeletons.
The Solution: Servo-driven articulation
The facility rejected pneumatic balancers and rigid column lifts in favor of the Gorbel Easy Arm® Intelligent Assist Device (IAD). Standard hoists rely on pendant controls and fixed vertical lifting speeds. The Easy Arm® uses a G-Force® servo-drive processor instead. It detects the force input from the operator and responds with proportional speed. In "Float Mode," the load effectively becomes weightless.
They selected the Easy Arm® specifically for its articulating jib design. The "elbow" of the jib allows for fluid movement around obstructions. It permits the vertical lifting mechanism to reach inside deep crates without the swinging arc associated with traditional jibs. This capability was necessary for the "pick and place" nature of the cylinder reclamation workflow.
The Execution: Integration and Workflow
The project involved installing four Free Standing Easy Arm® units at the primary processing stations. Each unit has a 165-pound capacity. The installation footprint was minimized to preserve floor space while providing a 360-degree coverage area for each operator.
The system fits directly into the check-in line. An operator manually guides the end-effector—a specialized mechanical hook—to the cylinder valve handle. The servo-drive allows for precise vertical positioning without recoil or overshoot. Once engaged, the operator lifts the 80-pound cylinder with negligible effort. They rotate it to the scale for weighing and then to the conveyor for refilling. The "Float Mode" feature allows the operator to manipulate the load vertically by hand. This offers the tactile feedback required for precise placement without the latency of button presses.
Operational Results
The implementation of the Easy Arm® units produced immediate changes. The fluid motion of the IAD matches the natural speed of the operators, which eliminated the "wait time" often seen with slower electric chain hoists. The system also removed the physical strength requirement for the role. The facility can now assign operators of varying physical statures to the station. Injury risk related to rotator cuff strain is effectively engineered out of the process. Feedback showed a rise in morale, and employees now voluntarily opt for overtime shifts because the physical fatigue is gone.