A mobilised workpiece positioner removes production bottlenecks and saves time

Workpiece positioners are traditionally bolted in place and workpieces are moved from one device to the next phase using a crane. One production line may contain several, and even dozens, of workpiece positioners depending on the length and number of phases of the production chain. Not much time is wasted if devices are designed to ensure that workpieces can be attached and detached as quickly and safely as possible, without many detachments in the chain.

But the more attachments and detachments there are, the larger the bottleneck they form in production. We have turned the setup on its head: now the product stays in place and the workpiece positioner moves. Jucat’s new mobilised, battery-powered workpiece positioners can be moved from place to place and from workstation to workstation as necessary – either with or without the product. This brings a whole new level of productivity and effectiveness to production, and saves time!

What are the practical advantages of a mobilised workpiece positioner in production? We’ve listed five:

1) Save time – significantly fewer attachments and detachments

Let’s look at an example. If a production chain contains 15 phases that require a workpiece positioner, up to three hours can easily be spent on simply detaching, moving, and attaching products. Not to mention that you often have to wait for a crane, too. One mobilised workpiece positioner can be run through the product’s entire chain without needing to detach it at any phase. And you only need a crane at the start and end of the chain.

2) You can work on the workpiece while it is moving

Moving a workpiece from one traditional workpiece positioner to another stops production work and forces people and subsequent work phases alike to wait for the move to be complete. In a mobilised workpiece positioner, it is possible to rotate, lift or lower the product while moving it, as it is conveniently attached to the positioner.

3) A mobile workpiece positioner adds adaptability to a production space

The placement of traditional workpiece positioners must be considered carefully, as they cannot be moved in the blink of an eye. As they are bolted to the floor, use of the device is restricted to a single point, and more floor space is required as the device cannot be moved out of the way. Mobilised workpiece positioners can be moved as required, which frees up valuable floor space and provides the opportunity to adjust the layout of production.

4) A single mobilised workpiece positioner can replace several traditional positioners

A single production line may contain dozens of phases that require a workpiece positioner. This means that you also need dozens of traditional workpiece positioners that are affixed to the floor. A mobilised workpiece positioner, on the other hand, moves throughout the entire production chain without needing to be detached until the end of the chain. It can even replace all of the static workpiece positioners in the line. This also minimises the need for a crane, as the workpiece will need to be moved significantly fewer times. The share of productive work increases as auxiliary phases are weeded out of the chain.

5) Safety and ergonomics improve further

The reduction in attachments and detachments is also seen as improved efficiency and flexibility in occupational safety, as the greatest risks relate precisely to detaching and moving products from one device to another using a crane. The improvement in occupational safety and ergonomics is significant, especially in comparison to a situation wherein a workpiece is worked on while on a crane. As with all of our workpiece positioners, the design of a mobilised workpiece positioner pays particular attention to safe use.

Available for a wide range of product capacities

Mobilised workpiece positioners can be used to handle products of various capacities, from hundreds of kilos to thousands of kilos. The solution is available for our entire workpiece positioner product family, whether you want an L-shaped JCL workpiece positioner, a JCP grill-type positioner, or a JCK simple-pole positioner.

The mobilised workpiece positioner is battery-powered and operated using a control panel. The device is suitable for normal factory conditions with a maximum fluctuation of 5cm in floor level. Use of the device does not require special skills, but naturally all of our deliveries also include user training provided by our experts.